Welcome Home
by Forever-Tangled
Summary: Modern AU - What happens when a homeless young man and a kind, but guarded young lady cross paths? Throw in three wanted criminals and you've got a recipe for disaster! Rated T for violence. Title based from the song "Welcome Home" by Radical Face. Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the laptop I'm writing this on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is an adaptation of a story I was working on, originally titled "Why Didn't I Tell You?". I deleted it because I felt I could do a much better job, so I'm redoing it in this story. Some of the plot will be changed, but you'll still find some elements/sections from the former, now deleted work. Thank you to those who reviewed/followed my original work in the short time it was up before I decided to ultimately get rid of it and start over fresh. I've adjusted the story according to something that was brought to my attention, as well as some other things. It's different but similar at the same time, you know what I mean? Anyway. I'll stop rambling and let you get to the first chapter!  
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"You're_ useless, Flower. You'll never amount to much out there. You must stay here. You know I can't live without help." Her adoptive mother's words cut. They always did. Rapunzel couldn't believe how someone could get cut somewhere that they had already been cut at, but her words, as always, ached.  
"Do you want to make a bet? I know I have a chance out there, mother!" She never stood up for herself, but now was the time.  
"Don't you go out that door. You'll regret ever being born!" She was threatening her now. Her threats weren't usually idle, but Rapunzel had had it. She hefted her small duffel bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.  
That's when her mother had pulled a knife on her. Stood in front of the door. When Rapunzel tried to get around her, she used that knife. Rapunzel still had the scar on her arm from it, up by her elbow. Long and jagged, it reminded her of her past.  
That hadn't stopped her, though. She'd gone to her room, bandaged her injury, and waited for her mother to go to sleep. That night, she'd made her escape through her bedroom window; crawling across the side of the house like a monkey, easing herself onto some fencing, and then diving from that and running away. _

That was four years ago, Rapunzel reminded herself again as she walked on the busy sidewalk, heading for her job at the little family-owned bookstore that she adored working at. She was twenty-two now, and while she certainly wasn't famous, she'd made something of herself, at least. She hadn't lied when she'd promised her abusive adoptive mother that she could take care of herself out here, in the world. As she walked, her thoughts switched from this to the reason why she had a bagged breakfast along with her. She _should _be nearing the building soon...oh! There he was!  
She jogged across the street, hopped up onto the sidewalk, and stopped in front of the bundled-up man. He was always here, huddled up against the old factory building and sleeping when she passed on her way to work. Today was the day that she'd stop just going past him.  
"Hello!" she smiled brightly.

The man grunted, peeling a brown eye open. He'd been having a perfectly wonderful sleep, but then this preppy-looking woman just had to go and wake him up. Make him face reality. Her fuzzy figure focused, and her bright smile was as bright and dazzling as the sun. He looked over her with a calculating gaze. Her dark brown hair was short and messy, with soft spikes poking out everywhere. Her nose and cheeks were daintily sprinkled with freckles, and her cheeks had a rosy tint to them - a natural tint, not blush. But the most stunning of all were probably her smile and her eyes, which burst with hundreds of shades of green, with maybe even pale yellow and brown squiggles towards her pupils. Her pupils were wide and curious.

But he was in no mood for some preppy woman - the type that act all nice and sweet, but then yell at you for taking up the sidewalk. Not like he had anywhere else to sleep. When the homeless shelter's full up and you're not in it, you kind of are limited in your sleeping options. He'd considered laying out in the middle of the street once or twice, but didn't think the state would appreciate the cleanup. Finally, he realized he really needed to answer her.  
"Yeah. Hi. If you don't mind, I need my beauty sleep. As you can tell, I probably need all the help that I can get in that category." he tucked his chin against his thin, blue tee and squeezed his eyes shut again.  
Rapunzel shook her head, grinning. Perhaps she should have explained this _first_. "Then I suppose you don't want the breakfast I made for you?" she asked.  
His eyes opened again as he wondered if the woman was delusional. "Look, I'm not in the mood for pranks."  
"It's no prank," she shook her head and opened the brown paper bag open for him to look. Glancing down at the new cup of coffee in her other hand, she felt a sudden burst of guiltiness. "The coffee's for you, too."  
"Why?" he asked immediately. What, did everything have some awful substance in it? Laxatives? _Poison_? He'd heard of people doing that just to make homeless peoples' lives even worse.  
"I walk past this spot every day for work, and you're always here in the morning. I thought you could use a good meal," she said, setting everything in his lap. "Plastic fork in the bag, and a couple of napkins are in there, too."

"You made it?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. In his three months of homelessness, this was the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen. Who makes homemade meals, trots over to the first homeless person they see, and hands it to them? Nobody, that's who.  
"Yes," she nodded. She'd witnessed a few people making fun of him on her daily walks back and forth to work, so he probably expected the worst. "Look, I know you don't trust me, but I promise I didn't do anything awful to the food. Unless you count bouncing the bag a bit as I jogged across the street!"  
He chuckled. She had a little sense of humor, if all else failed. "Well, ah, thanks. Very much."  
"You're welcome," she let her smile broaden - he wondered if that was even possible - and instead of leaving, she sat down with her back up against the brick building. "Mind if I stay and talk for a few minutes?"

_There's the catch,_ Eugene thought immediately. No way would anyone give a free homemade meal without some judgmental questioning, perhaps some harassment or even a kick to the side, as cruel as it sounded. He shrugged, cramming an entire muffin in his mouth so he couldn't give a snarky reply.

"What's your name?" she asked.  
He looked up, gulping. This was new. "Flynn Rider," he said automatically. He'd been eighteen when he'd taken up the alias, after all. This year marked six years of going by Flynn.  
"Okay," she nodded. That name sounded about as fictional as you can get, but she let it slide. After all, she hadn't given him _her _name. "How long have you been homeless?"  
"Three months," he shrugged. "And before you get started with the whole 'why don't you just get a job' spiel, I've tried. A lot."  
"I wasn't going to tell you how to run your life," she said gently. "I'm sorry you've been homeless for so long." She wondered if there was anything she could do for him.  
He shrugged. "Sooner or later, something will happen," he said darkly. Either he'd find a job and be able to feed and find shelter for himself, or he'd die. It was as simple as that. Even simpler and less worrisome when you didn't have anything to live for. No family, no job, no friends, wandering around streets for hours trying to stay away from the jerks who harassed the homeless for fun, and digging through trash to find something to eat or sell to the junkyard or pawn shop. It wasn't fun.

Her smile turned sad as she realized the full meaning of his sentence. "You seem like an okay person, Flynn. I'm sure your luck will turn someday!" She checked her watch and squeaked in surprise. "Oh! I have to go!"  
"Okay. Well, thanks," he said, giving her a convincing grin and holding up the bag.  
"You're welcome!" she grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow, if you're still here?"  
"No doubt in my mind," he said.  
"Okay. It was really nice to talk to you!" she smiled again and turned to race off. He still didn't quite know what had just happened, but he wasn't going to think about it much. She'd never come back around anyway, so what was the use of trying to figure out the real - and likely, bad - intentions of her kindness?


	2. Chapter 2

_"You're bad luck, kid, and that's all there is to it."  
"Nobody wants a kid like you!"  
"Don't you know? Your parents died in a car crash when they were bringing you home from the hospital as a newborn. It's bad luck that you didn't die with them, and that's that."  
These sneers from fellow orphans, relatives, and even foster parents, they always stung. But they were right, after all. Little orphan Eugene Fitzherbert was bad luck. That's all.  
"You were right, Flynn Rider. You're bad luck, no doubt about that. You give us any grief, and you'll end up in a ditch somewhere. Got that?" The towering, speaking brother of the twins - Daniel - spat, shoving him against the cold brick wall.  
"Got it," Eugene mumbled. He wished he'd have never witnessed the drug deal gone bad.  
Two weeks into homelessness, just when the gravity of the situation -and the hunger - had crept in, Eugene had bumped into two men: twins. They'd given him about a hundred dollars and told him to go eat for a couple of days. And eat he had, after thanking them profusely for their incredible kindness. When they came back around and guaranteed him enough money to get a house - not rent, __**own**__ -, so long as he joined their 'group', which was vaguely spoken of, he was skeptical and tried to distance himself. A day later, he'd heard the scuffle. Inspecting the situation was wrong. But he did it anyway, and found the brothers - Daniel and Craig - pounding someone, who was crumpled on the ground.  
"Hey!" Eugene yelled. "Get outta here! All of you! I'll call the police!" he didn't know how, but he'd notify the police somehow. There was a payphone down the street about a half-mile. He could sprint. Daniel and Craig had leaped away from the person in surprise, and before they could turn back, the person had escaped. That's when they'd turned on him. He'd intruded upon a drug deal gone bad. Now, Eugene owed them the price that the person had been about to pay - after the beating. Didn't make sense, but how could he argue with twins who could kill him whenever they felt like it? He'd never get away from Daniel and Craig - codename The Stabbingtons - and he was a walking piece of bad luck. Undoubtedly._

Rapunzel didn't lie. For about three weeks, she brought breakfast for him and stayed to talk for a few minutes. It was quite nice to have a friend in the world, but he couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. Nobody stayed around for long, after all. Why should they? As a walking back luck omen, it was probably in their favor to stay away. After all, whose parents died in a terrible car accident when they're bringing you home from the hospital when you're a week old? Whose foster families beat you because they think you're useless, break things by accident, and are just _bad luck_? Who works three jobs to get through college, only to lose all of them, then your house because you let the bank put a lean on your house so you can pay off college loans? Who gets mixed up in a drug deal gone bad, just trying to help the poor sap that got involved in the first place?

One drizzly morning, Rapunzel bounded across the street towards him. He was awake this time, almost looking forward to seeing her. She pulled a small bag out from under her jacket and handed it to him.  
"Good morning! It's Saturday, so I don't have work. I can stay a little longer," she smiled.  
"How can you be so happy and bubbly when it's so rainy?" Eugene asked.  
The young lady shook her head. "Rain provides life to plants and such. It's just as important and wonderful as sunshine is."  
He opened his mouth to protest, but knew she had a point. "There is that," he admitted.  
"Although you have reason to dislike the rain. Do you have anywhere to go?" she asked. "You're already soaking wet."  
Eugene shook his head. "No. I'll just hang out underneath some overhangs or see if the diner will let me sit in there awhile. This overhang's working well so far, though."  
Rapunzel bit her lip, thinking. "You could stay in my house if you want. At least until the rain stops, if not for a longer amount of time."  
Eugene's eyebrows shot up. He wanted to say yes, and thank you very much, but then echoes of the accusations of his being bad luck filled his mind. It followed him wherever he went. He didn't want anything to happen to her, and especially not when she was just trying to be hospitable.  
"Nah. Thank you, though; it's very kind of you to offer that."  
"Are you sure? Can't I help you somehow? I don't want you out here getting sick."  
_Why do you even care_? Eugene wanted to ask. "I'm fine. I've dealt with more than a couple rain showers."  
She licked her lips. "Okay."

"You should probably go before _you _get rained on too much, though," he said.  
Rapunzel instead sat down on the sidewalk beside him. "I don't mind."  
"What are you planning on interrogating me about, then?" he asked immediately, meeting her eyes suspiciously.  
She grinned.  
"You don't have to automatically assume I'm a nosy gossip. I'm not, I promise," she said.  
"Nobody sticks around like you have. Especially since I'm homeless right now," he said.  
"Well, maybe I think you're nice and maybe I enjoy your company, and just want to learn more about you!" Her grin faltered. "Sorry if I'm prying."  
"It's okay," Eugene pondered this a moment, his eyebrows knitting together.  
Rapunzel sighed. "What do you do all day long?"  
"Traipse around hoping to come across a 'help wanted' sign," he said. "Nobody'll take me because they're afraid to hire someone that's homeless. Guess I'm a real danger."  
"You're bound to find a job soon," Rapunzel reassured him.  
"I doubt that," he shook his head. "But I guess you can always be optimistic, right?"  
"Definitely," she nodded. "What'll you do when the weather turns cold? If you're not back on your feet by then, of course."

He shrugged. "I guess I'll find out then. Can't really worry about it now; can't really do anything about it anyway! No more than what I'm already doing." He quieted as a couple stopped in front of them on the sidewalk.  
"You're taking up the sidewalk. We need out of the rain too, you know," the woman snapped, glancing up at her umbrella, which was already spread over top of her. "If you weren't just lying around, maybe you could get a job or something! Both of you. Pathetic."  
Eugene silently stood up and sidled away, but Rapunzel jumped up and followed after them.  
"Excuse me, but he's trying to get a job! How can you pass by with your designer purse and-and-and be so mean towards someone who's so much less fortunate? It wasn't his fault. He's trying to find a job! It's not his fault nobody will hire him!"  
"You're as bad off as he is, obviously. Otherwise you wouldn't be out here with him. So who are you to tell me how to live?" the woman asked. The man beside her stayed silent.  
"I'm-" Rapunzel huffed in frustration as they both strode off.

Eugene was staring at the girl's petite form. She'd just taken on two of 'the regulars': the people who frequently walked by and generally greeted him with an insult or physical harm of some form. He wasn't human, obviously. To them, anyway.  
"Let it go," he called. He wasn't sure if Rapunzel would take off after them or just stand there, seething.  
She whirled around and marched back to him, her eyes flashing with anger. "How can they do that to you? Every time they go by!"  
"It's a free country," he joked.  
"It's not right! They don't know-they don't know you."  
"Neither do you," he grinned sadly. "Not really."  
"But I'd like to. I'd like to know so I could help you out," she said.  
He thought for a moment. "You know? That they always go past and harass me, rather."  
"I've seen it happen, yes," she looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then blurted, "I wanted to help before, but I just didn't know how!"  
Eugene shook his head. "I'm not upset that you didn't do anything," he reassured the girl. "More like surprised that you picked up on that."  
"Oh," Rapunzel nodded, finally realizing that that likely wasn't normal. "Sorry if that seemed weird."  
He was quick to disagree. "No! No, it wasn't weird. It was different, that's all. A good different. Nobody really cares about homeless people. You're a bright light in a dark world. I'm just wrapping my brain around this." 

_A bright light in a dark world. _Rapunzel smiled as the words sunk in. "Okay."  
Eugene cleared his throat. "So, ah, thank you. I suppose you should go back to your house before it starts raining too hard."  
Rapunzel sighed, nibbling her lip. "Can't I convince you to come with? I promise it's not a trap or anything."  
Eugene licked his lips, thinking this over. "I don't want to be so dependent, especially since I don't even know you or vice versa-"  
"Well," Rapunzel put her hands on her hips. "Do you have family you could stay with, but they're too far away for you to get to on foot? I could drive you-"  
"No. No, I don't. None that would let me live with them, anyway."  
"Why not?" Rapunzel asked. "That's terrible!"  
A wry smile crossed his face. "I've been classified as a walking bad luck charm. I might not even have any living relatives anymore, anyway."  
Rapunzel's eyebrows furrowed. "Were you an orphan?"  
He glanced at her in surprise. "Maybe."  
Her heart went out to him. Obviously, he'd had a complicated childhood. "Flynn, I promise it's not a problem. You could stay until you find a job and can rent a house. I can't let you-_die _out here!"  
He laughed. "I won't die," he reassured her, even though it _was _a distinct possibility. Just not a straightaway thing.  
"Then I don't want you to get sick or hurt. Us _maybe _orphans have got to stick together," she added. Maybe he'd trust her if he knew a tidbit of her own past.

He stared at her a moment. He would never have guessed _this_. He'd seen her as a protected little girl whose parents had loved and spoiled her very much. "You're orphaned, too?"  
"Parents gave me up at birth," she shrugged. "But that's not important. Are you coming or are you staying?"  
The tall man gave her a pensive stare, and she met it evenly. She knew he didn't trust her for some reason, and knew if she'd maintain eye contact, she'd show she wasn't lying. She didn't even really know why she was doing this: letting a stranger stay at her house, especially when she lived alone and was, for the most part, alone in the world. Something just told her that she could trust him to not do anything stupid to her. She just hoped he'd know that he could trust _her_. She couldn't leave him out here.  
Eugene stared her down, and her wide eyes met his with a determined, even gaze. She wasn't sketchy. Hadn't done anything horrible to him. Had actually helped him - a _lot_. Why was he being bullheaded? Maybe the memories of The Stabbingtons, combined with the constant fear that he'd be the cause of someone getting hurt because of his title of 'bad luck charm', prevented him from giving a firm answer right away.  
"Coming," he finally said quietly.  
Rapunzel's face split into a smile. "Follow me," she said immediately, and so he did. 

Rapunzel's nosy neighbors gawked out of their windows, watching as Rapunzel led the bedraggled young man into her house. Eugene recognized half of them, and half of their encounters weren't pleasant - except for the one old man across the street that had given him a peach awhile back. He hoped Rapunzel's hospitality didn't cause rumors or gossip.  
At the door, he carefully pried his dirty, near-crumbling leather boots off and felt terrible for walking across her floor, since his socks and bare feet were about as filthy as the shoes.  
"The shower is down the hallway. Up the stairs is my room and painting studio. As you can see, the kitchen and living room are here," she gestured. "Make yourself comfortable. Ah, and don't be alarmed by the chameleon. He's allowed to roam. His name's Pascal, and he's usually friendly."  
"O-okay," Eugene nodded. _Usually _friendly? What did an unfriendly chameleon do? Come to think of it, what did a _friendly _chameleon do?  
She strode over to the fridge and peered inside, forming a plan to see how trustworthy he _really _was. "I've got to go grab a few groceries. I'll be back. If you want to wash your clothes and shower while I'm away, the washer and dryer are in the hallway."  
She decided that if the man was trustworthy, he'd stay in the house. If he wasn't, he'd probably steal something and be off on his way, even though that seemed to be an incredibly silly choice.  
Eugene nodded, scratching his head as he wondered why she trusted him so much. "Okay. Thank you."  
"You're welcome!" she smiled, grabbing her purse and trotting out of the door. 

While she was gone, Eugene put all of his clothes in a quick cycle through the washer and dryer, before rushing to the bathroom, scrubbing himself clean and waiting in a towel until he heard the dryer buzzing. Once he somewhat resembled cleanliness, he padded out to the couch and sat down carefully on it, still puzzling over why she'd leave a homeless dude in her house - which, he was sure, had valuables of some sort in it - for two hours while she went shopping. It had to be a test of some sort, he decided. It was a good thing he wasn't intending on stealing anything and running.  
When Rapunzel came back, she laughed when she saw him sitting stiffly on the couch, hands shoved underneath his legs as if he was afraid of being accused of something. He actually _was_. "You can relax, buddy!"  
"That was a test, wasn't it?" Eugene asked. "I know you're smart, and leaving me in your home while you went for groceries wasn't smart, really. I mean, I didn't do anything, I promise, but-"  
She grinned. "You figured it out, then. Yes, I was testing you. And you passed with flying colors, since you're still here. Unless you've got a more intricate plan figured out?"  
"All I'm thinking about right now is that I smell really girly." He joked, lifting his wrist to sniff loudly. "Lavender...coconut, maybe?"

Rapunzel giggled, going to start putting her groceries away. "Sorry! Maybe I should've picked up some regular bar soap while I was gone. I forgot that all I have is body wash and shampoo."  
He grinned, relieved to let go of his awkward tension. "That's fine. I guess smelling like lavender is better than smelling like a dude who hasn't had a proper bath in awhile. Thank you."  
"You're welcome!" She dug through her bags and came up with two small packages, holding them out to him. "I did, however, remember a razor. In case you want it. And deodorant." Her face flushed pink with mild embarrassment.  
Eugene blinked. "Thank you,"  
She nodded and went about putting away the rest of her groceries. "Have you met Pascal yet?"  
He shook his head. "Nope. He must be hiding."  
Rapunzel tsked her tongue. "We don't get visitors like _ever_, so he's probably really freaked out right now. He'll get used to it, and then I'm sure he won't leave you alone!" She glanced around the area. "Pascal, buddy, come on out! Oh, and Flynn, stay out here and we'll just have lunch while we're out here. Sound good?"  
"Yep," he nodded. "It's your house. Don't ask me!"  
She grinned. "But you're the guest!"


	3. Chapter 3

Rapunzel got up at five-thirty AM, her normal time. She showered quickly and threw on a simple purple blouse and a skirt that came down to her calves, slipping into her normal thin sandals. She couldn't _stand _wearing shoes, so when she had to go out, these leather sandals were the only thing she ever wore, except for the riding boots or tall boots she had to wear when working with her horse or during the winter months, respectively. Finally, she hurried down to the kitchen to start making breakfast - quietly, so as to not wake Flynn.  
Pancakes were fast. She needed to be at work by seven thirty this morning. Pulling a cookbook out, she expertly whipped the batter up and then spooned uneven circles of the stuff onto a griddle. As she was working, she had to refrain from singing to herself. She typically sang to herself - whistle while you work, right? - but since she had a house guest sleeping on the couch nearby, she hummed quietly instead. When the pancakes were done, though, she loaded a plate and then waved it gently back and forth underneath the man's nose, otherwise unsure of how to wake him.  
"Flynn," she whispered. This wasn't working. She poked his shoulder. "Flynn!"  
With a jolt, he shot upright, nearly headbutting Rapunzel by accident. "What?" Wild-eyed, he jumped up and looked around as if the house was on fire.  
"Breakfast," she giggled. "I'm sorry for scaring you! I would've let you sleep, but cold pancakes are kind of odd."  
"Oh," he relaxed and rubbed his face with his calloused hands. "Oh. Okay. Thanks. It's okay."  
Rapunzel grinned. "Do you want some coffee to wake you up?"  
"I'm good," he shook his head and yawned, traipsing out to the kitchen behind her.  
"Okay," she said. "Well, milk and water are in the fridge. Tea packets are in the closet if you want anything later. And coffee, of course - the grounds are in the cupboard above the stove." 

Eugene nodded, still rubbing his eyes as he sat down upon Rapunzel's direction. She bustled around the kitchen, way too alert for six thirty-three in the morning. She sat a container of margarine on her small, round wooden table and a bottle of maple syrup beside. Two forks, two knives. Finally, she set herself primly on the edge of the cushioned seat across from him, and folded her hands and ducked her head for a moment, lips moving silently. When she glanced up, she grinned at him - and he realized he'd been gawking at her. How did she have so much energy?  
"Aren't you going to eat?" she pointed and grinned.  
"Waiting for you," he responded, even though he was still trying to recover from his abrupt wake-up.  
The smile she gave him was dazzling. "Aw. Well, you don't have to. Chow down," she drizzled a small lake of syrup across her plate. "What are your plans for today?" Upon a small thud on the door, she jumped up and rushed to get a newspaper, which was rolled up in a plastic bag.  
He shrugged. "I might look around, see if I can find some small jobs."  
"I'll be home at five," Rapunzel said, chewing her lip. "I don't really want to leave the door unlocked..."  
Eugene shook his head. "I'll be fine if you're not back by the time I give up," he said.

They ate mostly in awkward silence. Finally, Rapunzel stood up and rummaged in her small purse. Could she trust him with a spare key? She bit her lip and decided she wouldn't entrust him with the key to her house quite yet. "Okay, then. I'll see you later."  
"Okay. Thank you," he said. "Can I look at your newspaper? Might find some job listings."  
"Sure!" Rapunzel nodded, smiling and giving a little wave as she headed out the door.

Eugene had a house to himself for the first time in awhile. Of course, this was only as long as it would take for him to look at the listings section of the newspaper and then head out, making sure to lock the door on his way out, but it was still different. He couldn't help but look around the house, now that it was a bright and sunny day. It was an old house out of the Victorian era, with intricate hardwood floors and wooden wainscoting. Her walls were pale, neutral colors, but she decorated them with paintings. She had a fairly large kitchen, likely because she made plenty of home-cooked meals. There was a large, square counter at the center of it, and there were counters on either side of the stove and sink. Cupboards were all along the corner in which the kitchen was nestled in. It led directly into the dining room, which consisted of the table and two chairs they'd just eaten at. They led smoothly into the living room, a smaller area with a television, a laptop set on a desk in the corner, and a couch. Behind the couch was a staircase that spiraled upward. Her decorating style was simple; very much like her, he decided. Unique. Nice. Sweet, almost. If home decor could be titled as 'sweet'. Finally glancing down at the newspaper, he skimmed the appropriate section for any job openings, found a couple, and headed out the door.

He was waiting at the curb for Rapunzel when she was walking home from work. It was, of course, the curb across the street from the old factory building he'd slept up against quite a few nights.  
Rapunzel hurried across the street, smiling brightly. "Hey, you! How did your day go?"  
"Well. How did yours go?" he asked. "I applied for a job at the gas station today. They'll contact me next week if they want a follow-up interview. Oh, and a job at the diner, too, waiting."  
"Awesome!" Rapunzel clapped a little. "I hope you get one - or even _both_!"  
"Me too. How was your day?" he repeated.  
"Oh! It went well," she said, tucking a strand of her short hair behind her ear. "Thank you." She bounced along the sidewalk, barely even tired from the day. It had been quite some time since someone had asked her about her day! The last time had been Mr. Barnes, who had only been wondering if she was satisfied with her job. He was a dear old man, yes, but he was her employer all the same and didn't bother her about her personal life too much. On second thought, perhaps he knew she didn't have much of a personal life _to _share, and what she did was littered with memories she'd rather not bring up. Like the long, jagged scar that showed on the soft skin of her arm right now. It was ever-present, but she never wanted to think of it. She'd worked hard to bury most of those memories, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

The job at the gas station fell through. Eugene wasn't surprised or upset. He just focused on finding small jobs around the town, such as people who needed their lawns mowed. That was surprisingly lucrative, believe it or not, but not enough to rent a home, obviously. But as soon as he could get a banking account, that money would go directly into it. For a month, he couldn't find any more jobs available. And then it happened.

Rapunzel ran home from work that day. She nearly collided with the tall man, who had gotten in the habit of walking home with her from the curb. "Oh! Oh, thank goodness! There you are! Flynn, a-a- a job just opened up at the bookstore! This is the most perfect opportunity I think I've ever seen! It's in-it's in stocking and unloading boxes from trucks, but it's a start, isn't it? It's a decent pay! Not the best, but it's a little bit more than mine! I asked Mr. Barnes. He said he'd be okay with you coming in tomorrow morning. Very informal. First come first serve basis with him. Family-run business. He's a very kind employer."  
"Slow down," he laughed. "I hardly understood a word you said."

She took a deep breath, but then rummaged in her purse and pulled out a slightly-crumpled packet. "Papers on the job. As long as you understood the whole job bit?"  
He nodded, taking the packet. "He knows about my situation?"  
Rapunzel nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but I told him about you."  
"No discrimination because of my situation?" he asked. "I mean, I'll definitely go talk to him tomorrow, and I'll fill the paperwork out and everything, but I'm just wondering. Need to know in case I need to come up with some points to back myself up with."  
"He would never," Rapunzel shook her head. "I'm certain of it. He understands that I've been letting you live in my house, and if I trust you, he'll definitely trust you."

Eugene's eyebrows furrowed. _Rapunzel_ mistrustful? "You always seemed to be a very trusting sort of person, though."  
She bit her lip. "Well..I'm not really all that trusting. You just seemed different."  
"Really?"  
"Yes," she shrugged and surged ahead of him on the sidewalk, not really wanting to discuss the inevitable: _why are you mistrustful?_  
He was quiet for a few minutes. "I suppose if I don't want to tell you about my back story, I shouldn't ask you to talk about yours. Right?"  
She slowed, smiling. "Right. Not to be, you know, mean or anything. Which, I'm not, I just-"  
"I get it," he reassured her. "Don't worry about it."  
"Okay,"  
As they walked in silence, Eugene watched the back of Rapunzel's head. Her hair was growing out quickly, and had relaxed to rest on her shoulders in the short time he'd known her. She was full of mystery to Eugene. As a person with a writer's mind, he couldn't help the curiosity constantly simmering in his mind, he'd just learned to tamp it down. But he wanted to know why she was so kindhearted, yet supposedly so mistrustful. What hid behind her unusually bright smile. But why should she tell him?

Back at the old Victorian house, Rapunzel sat on the couch with a book while Eugene filled out and looked through the paperwork necessary to apply for the job at the bookstore. When he was done, he stacked them neatly and turned around on the swivel chair.  
"It is done." he announced in a deep voice, teasingly.  
Rapunzel glanced up from her book and laughed. "That's good. I'm so excited for tomorrow!"  
"I'm getting a little excited, too. Maybe. I don't want to get my hopes up too far," he added.  
"I get'cha," Rapunzel nodded. "You can be excited after you're hired. Although there isn't a doubt in my mind you'll get the job!" she reassured him, getting up to start dinner.

As soon as she got some garlic bread in the oven to toast and spaghetti on the stove to cook, she ran upstairs and grabbed a thin file folder, setting it out on her center counter and leaning over it, studying it closely. She'd be able to go over it without interruption.  
Her adoption folder.  
It included who adopted her and their information. When she was adopted. Her date of birth. Full name...Rapunzel Louisa Dyneen.  
It did not, however, include contact information for a certain Mama or Papa Dyneen. She'd contacted the orphanage and requested information, but the lady on the phone had refused to give her confidential information.  
The one piece of information she ever needed, ever cared about...she couldn't get to. It was like dangling a treat hopelessly in front of a dog, just out of reach. She hated it.

"What's that?"  
Flynn.  
She snapped the file closed, swiping a few pages underneath it. "U-um...a file about my parents. Sort of.."  
"Really? What're you going to do?" he asked. "I thought you were an orphan."  
"I am. My parents gave me up at birth. I want to meet them, but...I can't get any confidential information from the orphanage. And of course, my adoptive mother would be of no use."  
"Can't you call the hospital you were born in? With a name like Rapunzel, surely your file would stand out."  
Rapunzel nodded, nibbling her lip. "I'd never thought of that, but I don't know where I was born."  
He nodded, scratching his chin a moment before gesturing to the folder. "It should have the information in there somewhere. Might be worth looking into."  
She smiled. "Maybe. I hope so. It sounds weird, but it's my dream to meet my biological parents."  
"It isn't weird at all," he shook his head. "I applaud your attempts. Someday, I hope you can meet them. If anyone deserves it, it's you."  
"Really?" Her nose wrinkled as she smiled.  
"Of course! You're a good person," he mumbled.  
"Well, so are you, and..." she trailed off.  
He licked his lips and nodded. "Yeah. So why wouldn't your adoptive mother be of any help?"

"I haven't contacted her in years. She's not a person you like to be around," she said simply, running her fingers across something on her bare arm. He didn't look, but he was fairly certain she was rubbing the jagged scar he'd noticed on her arm. Did her adoptive mother have something to do with that scar? If he didn't keep his heart chained inside his own chest, he would've let it go out to her. But he couldn't afford that - he couldn't get attached to this girl. He'd get an apartment and be on his way. Unless...he got a job at the same place she worked in. But that was life. He'd manage his feelings; he always did. He didn't want to get her involved in all his bad luck. If she had an unfortunate past, it was her personal problem, and he didn't need to get involved. But something made him _want _to know: this sudden and strange need to protect the girl who disappeared in on herself at the mere mention of her past.


	5. Chapter 5

Rapunzel was excited. She couldn't wait for Flynn to meet Mr. Barnes, and she hoped and prayed that the interview went well. Barnes was very informal; if he met someone he exceptionally liked and knew they'd do the job well, he or she was hired. He could get away with this because his store was family owned and, for the most part, family operated; but some workers, like Rapunzel, were not family. By blood, anyway. He was probably the closest thing she had ever had to a father, and with a family full of boys but only one girl, he watched over her in a fatherly manner. When she got up at five AM, Flynn was already in the bathroom, so she started breakfast while she waited for the bathroom. When he emerged, his face was pocked with bits of toilet paper.  
She gasped, swallowing a giggle. "Flynn! You shaved?"  
"To the expense of the skin on my face, yes," he joked, making a face.  
She grinned. "You look great. You'll want to remove the toilet paper from your face before we leave, though. Just throwing that out there,"  
He chuckled. "Yeah, that'd probably be best."

As they ate, Flynn seemed fidgety. She wasn't sure _why_, but something was bothering him. Maybe he was just jittery over the new job interview, she decided.  
Finally, he spoke up.  
"My real name's Eugene Fitzherbert."  
"Hm?" she asked, glancing up before it registered. "Oh! Truth be told, I figured Flynn Rider wasn't your real name. I just thought you'd tell me when you decided to trust me."  
This threw him off. She'd seen through his fake name, which most people accepted. Obviously, he told prospective employers his _real _name, but to anyone else, he was Flynn. "Really?"  
"Mhm," she nodded. "In all honesty, I'm really glad you told me. I understand why you might not have wanted to tell me."  
"You're not ticked off that someone's been living in your house for, like, over a month, under an alias?" he asked, dumbfounded.  
She laughed. "Not when I knew it was an alias to begin with."  
"That's surprising. And..you can laugh if you want. I know it's an absurd name."  
She smiled. "I like it, actually. And.." she trailed off and licked her lips. "I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider. For the record."

She immediately delved back into her breakfast. She couldn't believe she'd said that. It was true, yes, but...she hadn't meant to reveal that she liked him. Not _like-like, _but...she liked him - as a friend, of course. She wouldn't let herself fall for anyone - she didn't want to give her heart to someone just to have it torn apart. But she wouldn't mind a friend or two in this crazy world. She tried to avoid staring at him to see if he caught the deeper meaning.  
Eugene dropped his gaze to his plate as his heart did a crazy jump-skip. She preferred _Eugene_, not the hardened facade he'd perfected over the years. This was new and quite alarming. He obviously hadn't fooled her. Maybe if he'd tried harder to keep up the 'leave me alone' mask, he could have fooled her, but she also wasn't stupid. He decided that there was no use wondering about it now. 

At the bookstore, Mr. Barnes met Rapunzel and Eugene at the door.  
"Hello, sir. Are you Mr. Flynn?"  
He nodded, casting a glance towards Rapunzel. "Yes, sir. Actually, Flynn's just a nickname...my actual name is Eugene. Nice to meet you," he offered a hand out to the older man and Mr. Barnes grabbed it in a firm, but warm, shake.  
"I've heard quite a bit about you, but let's go to my office to discuss this job. You're the first one to come in for it, actually."  
Rapunzel clocked in and started re-situating and tidying up the book shelves, wondering how the interview would go. Mr. Barnes, a squat, plump little old man with a jolly attitude - the kind of employer that was friendly and offered to take you out to lunch during break if you were having a bad day - was very kind, but Eugene was so mistrustful that he might come off as standoffish or even nasty.

After about half an hour of nervous waiting, assisting two customers, and fiddling with the book displays, Mr. Barnes' oldest son, Gunther, strode over.  
"Morning," he said gruffly. Rapunzel glanced up and gave him a warm smile.  
"Good morning!"  
"Not a very good morning if it's raining and my arthritis is acting up. Why're you so happy?"  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Gunther," Rapunzel said gently. "I hope your arthritis stops bothering you. Is there anything I can help you with? I'm just really happy today because a friend of mine came for a job interview. I'm hoping he gets it because, well, he could really use it."  
"That homeless guy?" Gunther asked. As a grumpy man in his forties, he was twenty-five years younger than his father and the polar opposite.  
"Yes. Once you get to know him, he's very sweet."  
"Yeah, 'til he starts stealing stuff. Then that's not too sweet." he grumbled, striding off as he mumbled about some kind of paperwork he needed to do.  
Rapunzel hurried after him. "I am very sorry and I don't mean to be cross, but Eugene is very kind and he would never, ever steal. He's going through a hard time, yes, but he's a good person."  
"We'll see," Gunther grunted. "Or maybe you're just a silly girl taken by a false personality. Why don't you go to the supply room and restock that shelf over there? Sci-fi section."  
Rapunzel sighed, but she turned to head for the supply room, and when she did, she saw Eugene standing quietly nearby. Watching.  
Trying to brighten, she smiled. "Hey, you! How did your interview go?"  
"Why did you defend me?" he asked instead, nodding towards Gunther.  
"Because you're a good person, and Gunther's a grump sometimes. Well, a lot of the time. How long were you there?"  
"Long enough," he shrugged, but when she started to apologize, he shook his head. "I've heard plenty worse, so it can't really get to me. But he's wrong about you, by the way. And if my being here is going to create grief-"  
"Did you get it?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Did you get the job?"

He nodded, finally letting his face split into a relieved smile. "Effective next week."  
She squealed with excitement, impulsively throwing her arms around him into a hug. "I _knew _you would! Mr. Barnes is such a dear old man! Oh, congratulations, this is fantastic!" she exclaimed, bouncing up on her tiptoes.  
Eugene laughed at her sudden mood change. "Thank you. I'm serious. I would've never known about this job if it weren't for you."  
"Oh, you're most certainly welcome. You completely deserve it!" she smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

Eugene settled into the job well. He was quick, efficient, strong, and good at navigating, so he ended up driving with Mr. Barnes' nephew, Levi, to go pick up shipments of books, too. Mr. Barnes welcomed the young man as part of his shop-family, just like Rapunzel and the clerk, Ms. Neelson.

Now, Ms. Neelson preferred to be called Ms. Neelson and only Ms. Neelson; if anyone called her by the name on her name-tag, she would meet the slip-up with utmost disapproval and argumentativeness. Eugene had fallen victim of this when he was new to the job and relied on name tags to remember names. Since he knew how irritated she got upon being called 'Penelope' or 'Miss Penelope', he did this on _purpose _on occasion; usually to get her attention if she wasn't paying attention. Or to just tease; if he was able to leave the area quickly to avoid the clipboard she'd grown accustomed to whipping in his direction. She had good aim. Rapunzel would watch these interactions from afar and then scold him for harassing the poor older lady, but her reprimands were typically dissolved in laughter.

And of course, Rapunzel and Eugene fell into a routine. He was actually a decent cook as well, so he made breakfast every other day; they would walk to work and discuss their schedules, and after work, they'd walk back to Rapunzel's nice little Victorian house and spend the evenings relaxing with their appropriate hobbies: Rapunzel painting, Eugene writing, or mutually reading or watching movies. Pascal typically hung around Rapunzel, but enjoyed spending time with Eugene when he was tired and needed sleep. Rapunzel was far too high-energy to be around when he was tired.

One evening, Rapunzel couldn't help herself: she hurried up to her painting room, grabbed her paints, and as she worked on a cheery, bright painting, she sang her little heart out. She'd had an amazing day, and she'd actually made a breakthrough with trying to find her parents: she'd found the hospital that she'd been born in! Thanks to Eugene's suggestion, she'd narrowed it down enough to finally find the one. She'd requested - or maybe _begged _would be the correct term - a young woman at the South NY Orphanage to find updated contact information for her adoptive parents. She'd explained her situation, and the woman had finally given in. It wasn't illegal or anything, obviously. 

Despite her belief that her singing couldn't travel downstairs, Eugene listened to the high, flute-y voice that trickled down into the living room, where he sat working on some poems. He enjoyed any type of writing, but being around Rapunzel had inspired him to make a book of poetry. Of course, he didn't let her know that. He cocked his head, listening to her singing, and grinned. "She must be in an exceptionally good mood, Pascal?"  
Pascal tucked his tail over his head, squeezing his eyes shut even more so in order to display the fact that he was _trying _to sleep. He turned his attention back to the lyrics filling the house, and then let his pencil fly over the pages of the notebook he'd recently acquired. She was an inspiration, no doubt - in more ways than one. He let the words flow from his brain to his pencil, naturally rhyming every other line and trying to _feel _what he was writing - which he used his subconscious for. The poem was about a girl with a stunning voice, but hid her talents for fear of something. Something unknown to the reader. But soon, he grew distracted in thought, his pencil still scribbling across the page messily as he let his subconscious, the part that _felt _what the poem was about, fill in the rest of the page. _She's beautiful. _

He snapped out of his thoughts, and glanced down at his paper, rereading the poem to check for errors. When he hit the last sentence - "She's beautiful", he gulped. Was it the best ending for the poem, or was it what _he _thought of Rapunzel? He erased it all the same, shutting the notebook and tucking it between the couch cushions. At the same time, he realized she'd stopped singing. He almost wished she'd start up again. Venturing up the steps to see what she was working on, his mind chewed on that last poem sentence he'd written.  
"Hey," he announced himself quietly. Her hair was braided messily, and she had a dab of paint on her cheek. She was curled up on a stool in front of a canvas, staring at the canvas with satisfaction. "What're you working on?"  
"Oh! Hey," she squeaked, surprised. "Um, just-just a...this," she finished awkwardly, beckoning him closer. He strode over to the window, where she always worked, and was surprised.  
"It's spectacular," his eyebrows shot up in surprise. She'd painted a fairly realistic meadow with an unfamiliar girl in the middle of it, arms outstretched and the sun caressing her upturned, freckled face. A small crown of flowers was messily nestled atop her strawberry blonde hair, and her gauzy blue dress danced in a faint breeze. "Based on anyone you know?"  
She shook her head. "No, I just-when I was thinking about painting, I just decided to paint her. Her hair color goes along with the color scheme, but doesn't blend in."  
He nodded in agreement. "Well, you're an amazing artist, clearly. Are the paintings in your house by you?"  
"Yes," she admitted, ducking her head. "That bad?"  
"No!" he shook his head. "I thought they were done by some professional artist. You obviously paint with professional quality."  
"Oh, I don't know," her face flushed pink at the true compliment. "But thank you."  
He grinned, reaching impulsively to rub the paint off of her cheek. But then she instinctively flinched away from his hand. "You have paint on your cheek," he explained. What did she expect him to do to her? A strange expression - fear? Mistrust? - drained out of her eyes, and she looked embarrassed as she let him rub the paint gently away. "You paint a picture worth a thousand words, and I use a thousand words to paint a picture."

She laughed, recovering from and trying to cover up her reflexive flinch. She needed to remember that he wasn't going to hit her. "Perfectly complementary. Sometime, will you show me your work?"  
He faltered. "Sure. Sometime," he agreed. _And definitely not the poem I just wrote,_ he thought to himself.  
"Before you're a famous published author," she added, grinning.  
"Before I'm a famous published author. You're very sure of that statement, there," he chuckled.  
"Well, of _course _you'll be famous!" she teased, moving to clean her brushes and put her paints away. "With a Lamborghini and a ton of screaming fan-girls hanging onto your every word."


	7. Chapter 7

Precisely one month after Eugene got hired at Mr. Barnes' bookstore, he was able to get an apartment to rent, just minutes away from the store and a hop, skip, and twenty minutes away from Rapunzel's house. He suddenly realized that he liked town. He never had before, but now, if he was able to walk to work _and _still be within a reasonable distance of Rapunzel, life was pretty good. He couldn't help but feel a warmth towards the young lady. She obviously had some secrets, but he owed her so much and she was so kind, so...precious, he decided, as he headed home from work.

_Home. _An apartment, really, but he had a brand new key in his hand, and he couldn't wait to use it. He was heading to Rapunzel's house after he stopped in at his apartment, in order to grab the few belongings he'd gotten while living in her house. He loved the feeling of having an apartment of his own to crash in every evening. For sure, he'd appreciate a little alone time. When he stepped into the apartment, he took in the blank white walls, the single black couch, table and chair set for two, and the view. He was three floors above the ground, and could already hear the person below him playing music loudly. They obviously did not have sound-proof insulation put in, he decided. Not that it mattered. He clomped down a hallway in his deteriorating boots and saw the bedroom, with a small, bare mattress on the floor and an empty closet. The bathroom, directly across from the bedroom, was small and simple, as well: toilet, sink, shower; small window. He'd like it here, he decided. The kitchen, which was just off of the dining room, had a microwave and a tiny fridge. He'd make do. Sticking his key in his pocket, he locked the door behind him and started back off down the sidewalk, headed for Rapunzel's house.

Rapunzel greeted him heartily. "Hey! What's your apartment like?"  
"It's great," he grinned, opening his arms up in a shrug. "It's a place to live in. I'm actually really excited."  
Rapunzel immediately dove towards him, hugging him excitedly. She was genuinely ecstatic for him, and while perhaps the hug was a little awkward at first, it was the fastest way she knew how to express her happiness for him. He laughed before folding his arms around her carefully.  
"I'm so happy for you, Eugene! Look at you. You've got a home!" her face, her _eyes _smiled happily up at him. How did she do that?  
"I know," he chuckled. "Thank you. I-I feel like I can't possibly thank you enough, or stop owing you. You're the only reason I've gotten so far so fast. I would've never heard about the job, first of all, and without the job, I wouldn't have money to rent."  
She waved it off, her face pink. "You're sweet. And, if you promise to keep in touch with me - and I don't mean just saying hi at work -, consider your nonexistent debt paid in full and then some."  
He offered his hand to her. "You've got yourself a deal."  
She grinned and shook it firmly, resisting the urge to explore the callouses along his hand. They felt so tough and yet, his large paw barely even squeezed her hand. "C'mon, I made dinner for both of us one last time. You can eat before you get your stuff."

"Sounds great," he chuckled when she didn't let go of his hand, instead pulling him to the dining room. As was routine, he set the table and poured water in their glasses while Rapunzel dished out the meal: chicken Florentine with noodles on the side. "_Smells _great, too. You're a good cook, in case I haven't told you that yet."  
She blushed, grinning down at the glass container she'd removed the chicken from. She bustled to put it in the sink. "Thank you."  
"Who taught you?" he asked.  
"Self-taught," she shrugged, sitting down and pausing to bless the food. He'd asked her to start saying her prayer aloud, and had to admit that he'd flipped through the Bible set on her coffee table a couple of times. "So I guess you can thank the cookbooks I read!"  
He cocked his head. "Did you cook a lot growing up?"  
She nodded, stuffing a mouthful of food in her mouth to give her an excuse to think over her answer. She'd cooked when her mother was passed out drunk or not home. That was quite often. Gulping, she licked her lips before giving a small, "Yeah."

He dropped his gaze to his plate. He'd obviously hit a nerve - he usually did that, some way some how. But she'd hit a few nerves of his own before, too. Maybe it would be easier if they _knew _each other, knew what topics to skirt around. Or at least be prepared for a cold reaction from. "You were right, I was an orphan. Never adopted. Twenty-two foster homes and when I was eighteen, I went straight to college and worked three jobs."  
"Did your parents give you up?" she asked, surprised at his sudden openness.  
He shook his head, studying his fork. "They got into a car wreck when they were taking me home from the hospital as a newborn. I don't know how, but I survived and they didn't. None of my relatives would take me. Then none of my foster families would take me. Bad stuff seemed to happen whenever I was in foster care, so they dubbed me a walking bad luck charm. Which is true, if you believe in luck. It was kinda funny, though," he paused, "because all the other orphans were kinda scared of me. Didn't want to cross paths with Bad Luck Fitzherbert. Sometimes I'd play pranks on them so they'd get even more scared. Should've seen their faces." He relished the one time when, as a seven-year-old tired of the nickname Bad Luck Fitzherbert, he'd managed to get a mud pie into one awful girl's pillowcase the night before an important meeting of hers. He'd gotten into a lot of trouble.

But Rapunzel was more concerned about the nickname. "Why would anyone say you're a walking bad luck charm? Terrible things happen in life, and that's _that_. You know what I think? You're _lucky _\- blessed, even - to have survived that car wreck! And just because things coincided with your being in foster homes, that doesn't mean you're bad luck."  
He shook his head and grinned grimly. "One foster home, both parents lost their jobs shortly after I came to live with them. Another, I broke a window by accident and someone walked across the glass, needed stitches. Another place, I punched their biological kid in the mouth out of self defense because he was harassing me - I was eight and he was eighteen and his mouth was the only place I could really reach that would do anything - and the kid had to miss graduation because he had to get a bridge put in. I hit him hard enough to knock his two front teeth out. And...well, I won't continue."  
She bit her lip. "That kind of thing happens, though. Kids screw around. Jobs are lost. Things are broken. It's absolutely not an excuse to label someone as bad luck, and have that affect their self-esteem for the rest of their life! You were just a kid," her eyes were filled with pity and compassion, and he immediately felt guilty. He'd avoided any feeling of pity towards her. He didn't need or deserve her sympathy. "I know what it's like to be labeled awful things-and-and let me tell you, it's hard to ignore that once you're on your own. But it can be done, and that's what you need to do now. You're not bad luck at _all._"

"What did you go through? What's your tale?" he asked. "And..maybe you can teach me how to compartmentalize it all, then."  
She nodded in agreement, but then folded her napkin several times and took a long gulp of her water, delaying what she'd have to tell him. She'd never told _anyone_. Not even Mr. Barnes. It crossed her mind to make up an excuse - she wasn't feeling well after supper, perhaps - but then she realized that she'd just be like her adoptive mother then. No. He'd given up his back story. She didn't know about him, but she'd built thick concrete walls in her mind to guard her from most of her past, even though it sometimes leeched through to burn her like acid. But then she mentally took up a sledgehammer and let it crash into one of those many walls. It was time to let them crumble.

"Ah, my parents-I guess they gave me up at birth. My adoptive mother got me straight away. She must've been on a waiting list or something. I skipped the system. But...when I was four, she cut all contact with the orphanage and they didn't check into it. She was emotionally, mentally, and sometimes physically, abusive. She, ah, had me believing that I couldn't live without her and vice versa; but at the same time, I was worthless, ugly, stupid, and so many other things. When I got a little older, she drank heavily. Things got worse then, but I'd just hide in my room until she either passed out or left me alone. Ah...a-and when I was thirteen, she started going out at night a lot. I don't know what she was doing. She started in drugs, too, but I don't know where she got the money to do that. Then...well, then I left. That's how I got this," she touched the scar on her arm, which seemed to ache with the memory. "She didn't want me to leave, but that was just a final blow of sorts. She'd never hurt me like that before, and I wasn't going to hang around to find out if she would again. She's about three hours away at the Pennsylvania border, last I checked."  
His jaw was slack. "Why didn't you tell someone? The police? Anyone!"  
"I don't like to talk about it," she whispered. "I'm scared of what memories will come back if I have to describe some accounts in detail. And I knew the police wouldn't listen to me. I never went to the hospital if she hurt me, like the one time she broke one of my fingers and I had to tell my teachers I slammed it in a door. I don't have any evidence."  
Eugene swallowed. She had a point, but that awful woman didn't deserve to go without punishment. "How...how can you be so kind, so optimistic?"  
She smiled sadly. "If I were a pessimist..." She trailed off, swallowing and switching subjects. "I don't want to think about it. And...well...I don't want to be the cause of anyone feeling how I felt sometimes, so that's why I try to be nice to everyone."

"The brightest smiles are from the ones who've gone through the most, and the kindest souls are the ones who've gone through the worst," he murmured.  
She bit her lip. "I'm sure others have gone through worse, though."  
"So the reason you're so withdrawn about your past is because you don't want to face the memories you've blocked off?"  
"Compartmentalization is a wonderful thing," she stood up to clear the table, "but sooner or later, it's gonna escape. I know, but I don't get what else to do."  
He stood awkwardly, feeling pretty miserable and knowing he couldn't help her. "Well, I'm glad you told me the abridged version."  
She brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "And thank you for telling me about your past." Suddenly, she grew very scared indeed that they'd drift apart eventually. She didn't want that. He was her only real friend right now. He helped her clean the kitchen, as was their routine, and then he gathered his few belongings: the change of clothes he'd gotten from a thrift store, a worn book, a razor, and his notebook. She gave him a grocery bag to put everything in, and then wrapped her arms around herself, giving him a small smile but still feeling vulnerable. He set the bag on the floor and glanced over at her, realizing how small she looked.

Before he could think about it, he strode over and held his arms out. She slipped into them, hugging him tightly. He put his arms around her shoulders. "Thank you for everything. I'll never stop owing you. And I promise we'll keep in touch on a personal basis. I like you, Rapunzel."  
She felt her lips curl into a smile. "I like you too. But...how did you know I was worrying?"  
"Oh, I could see you stewing over it," he grinned, meeting her eyes.  
She ducked her head. "Really?"  
"Mmhmm." He gave her one last squeeze before letting her go. "Alright. Well, thank you for dinner - and _everything - _and I'll see you at work."  
"I'll see you at work!" she smiled and followed him to the door, where he trotted down her stairs and then turned to give her a grin before jogging away, headed for his apartment with his grocery bag of belongings.


	8. Chapter 8

August brought muggy weather and a flood of young people in the bookstore, preparing for their literature courses that required reading the old classics. Therefore, Rapunzel was constantly running, helping customers and keeping the displays stocked and neat. Eugene was always going with Levi in Levi's battered pickup truck to fill the tailgate with boxes of books. And of course, they hardly had any time to sit down and talk, and Eugene was often still stocking or picking up books when Rapunzel went home from work. The overtime was great, but Eugene started to grow concerned. He almost yearned for some time with the young lady, and hoped that she didn't think he'd completely forgotten about her.

One Friday afternoon presented the perfect opportunity. He and Levi had gone earlier than usual to pick up a load of books about two hours away, and came back and had everything stocked before the store closed up at five.  
"When are you going to ask that girl out, dude?" Levi, who was a year younger than Rapunzel, asked Eugene. Casually, of course.  
"Who-what?" he asked, turning to look at the kid in surprise.  
"You know," he grinned. "Rapunzel. Your eyes practically turn into those big cartoon hearts every time you look at her."  
"They do not," Eugene shook his head, shifting a heavy carton on the metal shelf. "But I was going to talk to her this evening - or hoping to, at least. See if she wants to grab a bite at the diner."  
"A date, you mean," Levi smirked.  
"Not necessarily..." he cleared his throat.  
"C'mon, man. Everyone knows you're all for her. We just don't know if it's unrequited or not, since she's such a hard nut to crack. You two are the talk of the boss' office. Will they, won't they, don't'cha know," Levi joked.  
"Alright," he chuckled, teasingly shoving Levi like an older brother would do to a younger. "I don't love her in a romantic sort of way, so don't get excited. Plus, we've only known each other for, what, three or four months. You just have girls on the brain."  
"No, pretty sure _you _do, though. And haven't you heard of love at first-" he heard the door open, and they both ducked down and peered between boxes to see who it was. Rapunzel. Levi turned to look at Eugene and winked. "Gotta dash. Good luck, bro."

Eugene shook his head, but collected his thoughts. Rapunzel bustled over to a shelving unit and started gathering an armful of books. He strode quietly over, and placed a hand on her shoulder so she knew he was there.  
"Hey you," he grinned when she jumped in surprise. Her face split into a huge smile.  
"Hey! You're back already?"  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Need help?"  
She shook her head, barely suppressing her happiness. She had barely even seen him all week. "I just need to restock one display, and then I'm done for the day, I think. What about you?"  
"Same," he nodded, distracted by how her eyes were dancing. "Um-uh, rather, I'm done for the day."  
She laughed softly, ducking her head to hide the pink flush creeping up on her cheeks. "That's good."  
"Look," he licked his lips and swallowed. "Are you doing anything after work?"  
Rapunzel snorted with laughter before she could push it aside. "Nope." Her? Having plans after work? Unless you counted painting and cooking supper, she never had plans after work.  
"Would you like to go to the diner to grab supper? And talk, of course. I've missed you this month - it's been so busy."  
She nodded her head, gesturing for him to follow her out of the supply room. Her heart was jumping with surprise and excitement. "I'd love to! This month has been super busy, I agree. Last minute classics shoppers...yikes. I almost wish some of them would order their books on some online shop, but I suppose this is what helps keep the bookstore open."  
"Yeah," he nodded, offering to hold the stack of books while she rearranged and shelved them carefully, watching her slim fingers work quickly. She took such care with books, almost as if they were the crown jewels or something - maybe they were, really.

They both went to Mr. Barnes' office to clock out, and Rapunzel waved to Mr. Barnes. "See you Monday morning!"  
He nodded. "See you then, dear. Have a good weekend." Turning towards Eugene, he raised a single eyebrow. "Behave yourself."  
"Never," Eugene threw back jokingly.  
The walk to the diner was short and filled with discussion about work and their coworkers. At the diner, they ordered a simple, identical meals: cheeseburgers, way too many fries, sweet tea that would give Rapunzel a sugar rush for the next two hours, and a small gooey chocolate cake that they split between one another. Perfect.  
Eugene pulled her chair out and then scooted it into the table for her, and she laughed quietly. "Always so formal!"  
He froze for a moment, thinking. "I've done that before, right?"  
"Yes," she grinned. "Dinnertime at my house. You're such a gentleman sometimes, is all."  
"Oh," he sat down across from her and glanced around the little diner.

A counter separated cashier from customer, but a line of barstools stood on the customer side. A small, glass-door refrigerator displayed pop, water, milk, and tea. Lemonade and sweet tea were made in the big containers barely visible through the window on a red swinging door, which blocked off the kitchen area. Several waitresses - some older women who teased the men, some young girls not yet out of high school - congregated around the counter, talking. The white and red walls enclosed them on three sides, but the final side of the diner was entire glass-pane and showed a not-so-stunning view of the road going past. Small, circular tables were scattered amongst the larger, rectangular tables, and black metal chairs cushioned with shiny red or white vinyl surrounded all of them. He drew his attention back to Rapunzel and realized she'd been watching him. She hid a smile in her napkin, but her curious eyes still peeked out through thick black lashes. When his heart seemed to swoop upward and swell at the sight of her, he knew he was in deep, and Levi was probably exactly right.  
"So, how're the poems coming along?" Rapunzel asked. "And what are you going to call the finished project?"  
He collected his thoughts, smudging ketchup around in a container with a fry. "They're coming along quickly, and I like them, I think. I'm not sure what to title the book of poetry, though. If I publish it."  
"You should," she smiled encouragingly. "What are the poems about?"

He bought time by taking a long sip of his sweet tea. "More or less, the speaker meets this girl that's so complex and perfect, but doesn't know how to tell her, so he writes poems about her."  
She nodded, her grin turning teasing. "About any specific girl?" When he faltered and his face grew red, she giggled. "I'm teasing. I think it sounds nice."  
"Thanks," he grinned. "And, ah..I'm sorry I haven't been able to, you know, hardly even talk to you-"  
She shook her head, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "Eugene, you and I both know we've been incredibly busy at work. All of us have! It's fine."  
"Okay," he nodded. "I'm glad we get to do this today - you know, relax, eat, catch up. I've been wanting to, but..."  
She smiled sweetly, brushing a lock of hair away from her face and meeting his eyes. "Me too." She realized that his eyes were roughly the same color as the cake, and were so very kind and held a strange expression in them that she couldn't quite place. A gentle but strange warmth spread through her, and she ducked her head to sip her tea, wondering at the sensation.

They lost track of time. Eventually, the diner - which closes at nine o'clock - kicked them out, but it didn't embarrass or dampen their spirit. They chatted and teased one another as they walked to Rapunzel's house. She climbed the steps to her house and smiled kindly at Eugene when he followed, standing on the other side of the tiny cement slab before her door. She reached to hug him, and he enveloped her in a warm hug in return. "Thank you for this evening. It was so much fun!" she kissed his cheek.  
He grinned. "Thank _you_."  
"Good night. I'll see ya," she gave a little wave, and he waited until she'd unlocked her door and slipped inside safely before he started back to his own apartment.

If he hadn't been walking with his head in the clouds, he would've noticed The Stabbington Brothers - Craig and Daniel - lurking in the shadows near Rapunzel's sweet little Victorian house.


	9. Chapter 9

"Sir?" Eugene stepped into the office hesitantly. He'd just been called in by Mr. Barnes, and wasn't entirely sure why.  
Mr. Barnes gave him an almost sheepish expression. "Maybe I'm just a nosy old man, but I wanted to ask you something."  
"Shoot," Eugene said, confused. He had nothing to hide, except the chills that rained down his arms at the thought of potentially losing his job - and even that was covered by the long sleeved, green shirt he wore to ward off the cool September weather. He leaned down on the desk, watching Mr. Barnes' face for a hint of what he was about to say.  
"You love her, don't you?" the old man asked, leaning in to ask it quietly, as if everyone in the entire store was waiting to hear the question.  
Eugene leaned back. "What evidence do you have to support that claim?" he asked, curious.  
Mr. Barnes sat back in his chair and maintained eye contact with the young man. "You're taking her out regularly now, despite the busy school season. She seems very happy around you, _different _in a way. She trusts you, I can see that. That's no easy task. Plus, the loving glances you give her are beyond obvious. You're the talk of the whole store - everyone's figured it out except maybe her."

Eugene blinked, thinking this through long and hard. He immediately pushed aside the _I'm bad luck, I can't possibly be around her _argument he'd held in his mind for a little while now. She'd been the one to show him that any form of that argument was stupid, actually. He couldn't deny the feeling of warmth, affection, general _care _that he felt for her. Let alone the strange need to protect her. It solely wasn't the fact that she'd helped him out in a time of need, either. He'd fallen long and hard for this petite girl with such a cold past, much as he tried to refuse it.  
"Yes, sir. I love her," he wanted to keep his gaze trained on his boots as his face flooded with warmth, but knew that he needed to maintain eye contact, so as to confirm that he wasn't lying or anything. That he truly meant it.

Mr. Barnes grinned. "Good. You need her as much as she needs you. But you take good care of that girl. I don't doubt you, but all I know is she's had a really awful past. When we met, she was eighteen, skin and bones, bedraggled and hadn't been welcomed inside a place in two weeks. I don't know how much you know, but all she told me was that she was running away from someone who had hurt her, and she showed me this big long cut on her arm. I left her stay in the stock room in here that night, locked it up so she could get out but not _in _in case she was trying to steal stuff - books are too bothersome to steal, so I wasn't worried about them - and by morning, she'd found the stack of new 'wanted' posters and was prepared for an interview for the job she has today. We fed her and let her stay in the stock room until she could rent an apartment. She saved every penny and sold some paintings, and when she was twenty, she put a down payment in on her little house."

Eugene was surprised. Of _course _she'd been a runaway and had not had anywhere to go. He just hadn't considered that. He sucked in a breath as he realized that she knew about homelessness, even if it had only been two weeks.  
"Thank you for telling me that, sir," he nodded. "I knew some things, but I didn't know that."  
He nodded good-naturedly. "Just take care of 'er. I don't think many people do."  
Eugene agreed, and when Mr. Barnes had dismissed him, he left the office and headed straight for the stock room, making sense of all this new information and how it felt to admit that yes, he was in love with the girl.

After five o'clock, when Ms. Neelson had flipped the sign from 'open' to 'closed', Rapunzel clocked out and then bustled to the stock room, wondering where everyone was at. Eugene had practically avoided her today for some reason, and all of the employees would give her an unusual smile in passing. Had she spent the entire day with something embarrassing plain in sight? Something between her teeth? Hair mooshed up on one side; flat and silky on the other? Clothes inside-out? She could only imagine.

Everyone was in the stock room: all seven employees, eight including Rapunzel. Even Ms. Neelson. Mr. Barnes' wife, who managed the bills, alerted everyone to Rapunzel's presence, which was another red flag. Their two youngest children, Joanne and Morgan, were crowded around, whispering gaily amongst themselves. Gunther didn't look amused. Levi was teasing Eugene about something. But when Mrs. Barnes gave a sharp whistle, everyone dispersed, and Levi fled with Eugene giving him a disapproving gaze.  
"What's that all about?" Rapunzel whispered as soon as she could get near Eugene.  
Eugene knew _exactly _what it was about - everyone's suspicions had been confirmed, and what was better - or maybe worse - was that Rapunzel didn't _know_. Clearly, it was highly romantic. And clearly, Mr. Barnes was an old gossip. "Oh, that bunch loves some gossip. I don't think it's even worth repeating," he chuckled. "Something about an old woman who came in here demanding we give her all the books. During lunch break, I guess, since only Gunther knew about it. No wonder he's extra grumpy today," he laughed, hoping his imagination wouldn't fail him now.  
"Why would she want _all _of the books? On the shelves or in here, too?" Rapunzel asked.  
He shrugged. "I don't know. Something about her love of them. Thought she needed ten copies of each, I guess," he grinned, but almost grimaced at his subtle hint. _...Love..._he hoped it wasn't too obvious.  
Obviously, it wasn't. She grinned sadly. "The poor dear! I wonder if she was alright..."  
"Gunther said her son soon tracked her down and took her with him, so she's not alone, at least," Eugene reassured her of the fake woman; the fake incident. He wanted to cringe at the idea of lying, but then he'd have to give a lie as to why he cringed, too! The vicious cycle.

Rapunzel shook her head and grinned. "Okay. Well, I'm planning on making lasagna for dinner. You're welcome to come if you want? I got a DVD rental in the mail yesterday, so we could watch that, too."  
He smiled teasingly at her. "You had me at lasagna."  
She giggled. "I don't know how good it'll be, since I don't make it often-"  
"Oh, c'mon. It'll be the best food known to mankind, I'm sure, Chef Rapunzel Louisa."  
Rapunzel rolled those green eyes of hers and shoved him playfully. "Oh, sure."


	10. Chapter 10

There was a late September chill in the air to begin with, but Rapunzel pulled her cream-colored cardigan closer as she read the note that had fluttered to the ground and nearly escaped her when she opened her door.  
Reading simply, _I've found you, flower. _  
It was as if she'd grasped the most repulsive, venomous snake known to mankind. She recoiled, but instead of dropping the note, she stuffed it abruptly in her purse and double-checked to ensure that the door behind her was locked before she jogged to work. Eugene had planned to go with Levi at about six in the morning for a four hour trip, ending near New York City, to pick up a shipment of books. Working at a small, private, family-owned business sometimes meant a lot of annoying little quirks like picking up boxes of books in a battered pickup truck, but it was a solid job. But this morning, Rapunzel was terrified and would've very much appreciated a walking buddy. But she made it to the bookstore in one piece, and pulled on a happy mask as soon as she walked into Mr. Barnes' office.  
"Hello," she smiled brightly, trying to force her eyes to do the same. He didn't notice her panic in the pulse that pounded in her left temple or her slightly shaky hands, he simply gave her a fatherly smile and nod.

Work dragged by. Eugene and Levi arrived back just at closing, and Rapunzel tagged along with them, helping Levi stack boxes while Eugene did inventory. She laughed and joked with the best of 'em, she thought. But when Levi clocked out for the day, Eugene cornered her in the stock room before she could leave as well.  
"Is something wrong?" he asked, flicking his eyes over her before meeting hers with a concerned expression. She just didn't seem quite right.  
"Hm? Oh, not really," she shook her head. He didn't need to know - what use would it be, anyway? He couldn't do anything about it! It was her problem and hers alone. Her burden to carry. Not his.  
He shook his head slightly. "If you say so, but if there _is _something wrong, please, don't hesitate to talk about it. Alright?"  
She nodded and touched his arm with about as fake of a smile as she'd ever made. "Okay. Thank you, bud. I'm going to clock out, I'll...you know what, why don't we head to the diner? My treat. Are you busy?"  
He gave her a small smile, still concerned. She was acting slightly scattered, her movements jerky, and he could tell she was deeply bothered by something. "Never too busy for you," he blurted.  
She buried the warmth, the feeling of relief that she felt when he said so; and fled to clock out.

At the diner, Rapunzel asked to sit as far away from the glass pane side as possible, which surprised Eugene. But he, of course, agreed.  
After the waitress delivered their food, Eugene leaned over the table, propping his elbows on either side of his meal.  
"You're acting off, Rapunzel. What's wrong?" he tried to catch her gaze, but she kept it directed at the glass pane, almost obsessively. It was as if she was somewhere else, and it scared him. Finally, he reached to push a lock of her soft brown hair away from her face, and it jolted her back to reality; in which she jerked away from his touch before she seemed to realize who it was. "Okay, you're really worrying me now. I hope you know you can trust me, right?" he asked. His brows were furrowed, and his food had no more appeal to him than a fly given the opportunity of eating soap.  
She sighed and rummaged in her purse, pulling the slightly crumpled piece of paper out and smoothing it out between them, glancing around nervously. She'd asked to go to the diner because it was a public place as opposed to being alone in her house, but she suddenly felt _watched_. "My adoptive mother," she barely breathed.  
His eyebrows furrowed until they were knit together. "You're sure? How could she have found you?"  
"I-I don't know, and that's what's scaring me! I don't know what she's planning to do or why she even looked for me or-"  
He shook his head. "She wouldn't hurt you, would she? She obviously had some sick idea that you had to stay around and care for her like she was a child or something. So maybe she wants to make you come back to her. You don't ruin something you want. Right?"  
She bit her lip. "I don't know," she mumbled. There it was again: the small, scared little girl that appeared in her eyes every time she spoke about her adoptive mother.

He reached his hand out on the table, towards her. "Hey. It'll be alright. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." She swallowed hard, but reached to overlap his hand with hers. He clasped her fingers gently. "I'm glad you opened up and told me."  
She sighed, staring down at her food with disinterest. "I just didn't want to bother you with this. I'm sor-"  
Eugene shook his head. "No, it's okay. Don't ever worry about telling me something. You're not a bother."  
Her lip trembled, so she bit it. "Thank you," she said quietly, fixing her gaze back on the glass pane.  
Teasingly, Eugene cocked his head in order to block her view. "Am I so awful-looking that you can't bear to look at me?" he joked, grinning so she knew he understood _why _she was staring outside obsessively.  
She gave a small laugh. "No. Sorry - I'll make sure to gaze at your handsomeness more often so as to make sure you don't feel unappreciated," she threw back.  
The young man winked, grinning at her. "And I'll make sure to do the same for you: your gorgeousness has no compare."  
She snorted, fully believing that they were simply teasing one another to distract from the current matter. Obviously, he was exaggerating matters to mask it, but he meant it. She really _was _gorgeous.  
"Don't do that, I'll probably hurt your eyes. Not a sight for already sore eyes," she joked, cheering up in her self-deprecating enough to sip at her soda.  
"If you say so," he said.

Eugene walked her home, as usual. "I'll stay 'til you check your house. Lock all the windows and doors, okay? Pull the curtains, too, it couldn't hurt."  
She nodded, and he waited just inside until she was done. "Clear," she said. "I-I'm probably overreacting.."  
"Not in the case of an abusive person," he shook his head. "You're just fine."  
She nodded, slipping into his arms and burying her face in his shirt. "Thank you. For everything!"  
He rested his chin on top of her head and hugged her close, just fine and dandy with the idea of staying in the embrace for as long as possible. "Thank _you _for dinner. You know, I think we need to make this a weekend kind of thing, going out for dinner together. Maybe go to the movies sometimes, too. Or just _something_. I know we try to hang out every weekend, but we need to make a point to."  
She nibbled her lip, looking up at him with a calculating gaze. Translated, did that mean _date_? She decided she didn't mind the idea. She just...she just couldn't let herself be filled with affection towards him, like she was now. People eventually go away, always. Unless you're a half-crazy, abusive adoptive mother, apparently. "I second the idea," she said softly.  
He grinned and kissed her forehead, but didn't let go of her quite yet, and only pulled away enough to meet her eyes when she mentioned letting him go back to his own apartment.  
"You sure you'll be okay?" he asked. She felt her whole body start to tremble at the idea of isolation, darkness, not knowing if her adoptive mother was going to break in or do something terrible to her. He immediately pulled her close again.  
"I'll be okay," she said quietly, but repeated it louder, as if that would help make up her own mind that she _would _be okay.  
"Okay," he took a deep breath when she pulled away. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. No new shipments for once tomorrow, so I'll walk with you to work if you want."

She hesitated. It would be incredibly selfish of her to make him walk clear to her house, then walk back to work. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she said. "I'll be okay. I'll see you tomorrow."  
He cupped her right cheek in his rough hand for a moment before leaving the apartment. If he could compile a list of the hardest things he'd ever done, leaving that girl alone with such a look of false bravery would probably be pretty high up on the top of the list.


	11. Chapter 11

Nothing else came out of the note left by Rapunzel's adoptive mother. Rapunzel and Eugene both forgot about it, for the most part, although Rapunzel was a little surprised that her adoptive mother hadn't followed up with whatever plan she'd made.

A chilly, early October day was met with utmost excitement. "This is a very big day, Pascal! I'm finally doing it. I'm meeting my biological parents!" she giggled happily to her chameleon, throwing on a cute purple blouse, black jeans, and her leather sandals. She fussed with her hair, wondering what her parents looked like. As she brushed her longish brown hair - which she always grew out for fall and winter -, she decided that the father was probably husky, tall, and with dark brown or maybe even black hair. His hands would be thick and strong, but he'd take her hands in his with fatherly gentleness as he took in the daughter he'd never watched grow up. She pulled her chocolate hair into a braid down her right shoulder, and tucked a small, loose strand away from her eyes. Her mother would have the same color of hair as she did, and one or both would have her green eyes. She probably got her slight build from her mother, whose eyes might tear up with happiness as she moved to pull her long-lost daughter into a hug. They'd sit down at the diner and talk the entire day, but she had to be back by seven, because Eugene was coming over for supper, which she'd bring from the cafe, she decided.

Taking a deep breath in the mirror, she swallowed a squeak of excitement. Her dream was coming true today. The compassionate lady had worked to get in contact with Rapunzel's parents, who agreed to come meet her. It almost seemed too easy, since Rapunzel had spent so much time puzzling all this out. Years, actually. Since she was twelve and decided that she'd run away as soon as she could get away from her adoptive mother! And it was thanks to a fresh pair of eyes- Eugene's - that this was coming true. She couldn't wait to tell him all about it. Maybe she'd even convince her parents to come have dinner at her house, too! Sure, they'd have to figure out where everyone could sit, but she'd figure it out somehow! Looking at the time on her watch, she gasped and grabbed her purse, racing down her spiral staircase and taking off out the door.

At the diner, all she could do was wait. She came ten minutes early, but a half an hour passed before she checked her watch. They were probably running late. Who knew where they even lived! Out of state, maybe. Maybe they lived in Maine, or-or Washington D.C.; maybe somewhere big and sophisticated. Or maybe they enjoyed the simple life, settling in a farm in New York, Pennsylvania, or Ohio. Who knew! She couldn't wait to find out.  
Tick, tock. Time stretched out an impossible amount. A cheerful waitress with blond hair took her order, which Rapunzel regretfully ate while she waited, wondering if maybe she should order for her parents, as well. She decided against it because she didn't know if her parents were allergic to anything, and she didn't want their food to get cold. They'd be here soon, though.

Then, Rapunzel's cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She grabbed it up and answered it hastily. "Hello? It's Rapunzel Dyneen."  
"Hi, Ms. Dyneen. This is Charlotte from South New York Orphanage. Your biological mother just called me. I'm calling to notify you that, unfortunately, your parents do not wish to meet with you. I'll be sending a typed copy of our conversation to your email address."  
"I-is today a bad day for them? I can wait for another day," Rapunzel offered immediately.  
The sympathetic woman's voice filled her eardrums. "I'm very sorry, but she asked to receive no further contact from the orphanage or from her child. Legally, I cannot contact her any further."  
"Could I, maybe?" Rapunzel asked dumbly. Her stomach turned sour and she wondered if she'd throw up.  
"She requested that her child, you, may not contact her. I'm very sorry, miss. Is there any more I can do for you?" Charlotte asked politely.  
"No," Rapunzel said, swallowing her emotions before they could swallow _her_. She'd practiced this before, many times. She knew she could control of her emotions. She had to fight to control them one more time. "Thank you for notifying me. Have a nice day!"  
"Thank you. Don't let this get you down, sweetie. This happens all too often."  
"I knew it was a risk. I'm not overly upset about it," she said indifferently. When Charlotte hung up the phone, Rapunzel checked her email.  
**"[Ms. Dyneen],  
I am contacting you with a copy of the conversation between [Mrs. Kelson], your biological mother, and I. [Charlotte Mason.]  
Secretary: Hello, Mrs. Kelson; what can I do for you today?  
Mrs. Kelson: I have decided not to meet Ms. Dyneen today. Also, if it is possible, please remove me from your records. I do not wish to be contacted by the child or the orphanage any longer.  
Secretary: Is there a specific reason? Also, is her biological father, Charles Sparks, available for contact?  
Mrs. Kelson: I haven't spoken with him since the wretch was born. Scared him off, the surprise task of fatherhood. I'm assuming that since Ms. Dyneen is at least eighteen, you no longer need contact information for me. So I would very much appreciate the removal of any contact information. If Ms. Dyneen gives you trouble over it, make sure she knows that there's a reason I didn't want her.  
Secretary: That's terribly rude of  
Mrs. Kelson: But it's true. And what's rude is you calling me to try to set up a fairytale ending for this individual when said individual was never meant to have one. Ms. Dyneen was an accident and should be treated as  
Secretary: Okay, Mrs. Kelson, please calm down. I apologize. I will notify your daughter of-Mrs. Kelson? Hello? Are you still on the line?**

**Thank you for contacting us. We hope you have a wonderful day and if you have any questions or are looking to adopt a child, wait no longer and contact us using the following information!..." **

_Ms. Dyneen was an accident and should be treated as such. _Rapunzel swallowed hard. Mrs. Kelson, who was obviously her mother's married name, had never wanted her. She'd been wrong: an unfortunate home situation had not been the cause of her surrender to the orphanage. Nor had a kidnapping, a parent trying to escape an abusive relationship, or any other scenario she'd thought up over the years. Her biological father was supposedly irresponsible and immature, and her biological mother had wanted nothing to do with her - ever. She hadn't even recognized her as 'daughter' or anything. She jammed her phone in her purse, threw a tip out on the table, and rushed from the diner, all other thoughts combining with old ones. The dream of meeting her biological parents had built up careful, elaborate walls, blocking in all the bad memories and replacing it with _When I meet my biological parents, I'll be loved and I won't need to remember_. Now that this was gone and turned sour, the walls lapped over with acidic comments and then flooded her brain, like a dam breaking; bent on ruining everything and drowning her alive, burn her from the inside out.

_"I'm gonna find them someday," she said to herself in the mirror, prodding carefully at the black eye her adoptive mother had left. This was one of the rare times in which she'd caused physical harm. It was almost always emotional or mental abuse, but this time was different. She'd caught her mother with a small packet of whitish powder, and had immediately placed it as drugs. She'd cornered her and when Rapunzel had threatened to call the police, she'd been punched and locked inside her bedroom from the outside. "I'm gonna find my real parents and I'll leave her forever! And we'll live happily ever after."_

._..wretch was born...said individual was never meant to have a fairytale ending...accident...should be treated as such...you're stupid, Rapunzel: how else could you receive low marks in mathematics?...Here comes the quiet orphan kid...you're so useless, flower; you would never last out on your own..._

_Sobbing over a hard day at school in which the bullies had gotten the best of her, Rapunzel ran to her room. Her adoptive mother was drunk again. Or high. Who knew. Who cared? She locked her door, which she'd fixed to lock from the inside. "I'll find them. I bet she kidnapped me or something. They didn't really want to give me up. That's why I didn't spend any time in the system. My real parents want me, and I'll find them someday." _

_"Yes, you're adopted. Congratulations, it took you ten years to figure it out. No way on this earth would I birth such a useless creature as you are. And stop apologizing for knocking that plant pot over. You're inexcusable. Now, go do as you're told and clean up the mess you made. Mummy can't, her back hurts too much." Eleven-year-old Rapunzel stared in surprise and horror at her mother-her __**adoptive **__mother. She'd just found the adoption papers, and in her rush to talk to the woman, had knocked over a flower pot. Dirt had sprayed everywhere, all over the beige carpet and Rapunzel's pale pink shirt. And now her mother was freaking on her over it. She supposed she was pretty clumsy and dumb after all.  
...Senseless...daydream too much...if you tell anyone about that powder, I promise I'll lock you in that room...Don't you bloody dare think about leaving...  
_

_"I'm going to see my parents tomorrow," she beamed excitedly up at the young man standing in front of her. "Thanks to you! I would have never thought about contacting a hospital!" He enveloped her in a warm hug, telling her that it was stupendous that she was going to meet them.  
"Tell me all about it," he added, making her pinky-promise that she would. _

She felt as if monsters were nipping at the heels of her mind, trying to catch up with her, to destroy her. Her stomach churned and she ran blindly through sidewalks. She nearly stepped out in front of traffic once by accident, but someone grabbed her arm roughly, jerking her backwards. She gasped, yanked out of her thoughts, but instinctively jerked her arm away and feared the worst.  
"Are you drunk?" a man in a suit yelled in her face. "You almost got killed!"  
"S-s-sorry," Rapunzel stammered. "Th-thanks f-for-" before she could finish, the man shoved past her, apparently late for something.

_"You're a screw up, dear, no other way to describe it. You couldn't possibly survive without me."  
"Dear, you know you'll never make anything of yourself. You'd best stay where you're needed, helping mummy."  
"Biological parents? They didn't want you, flower, that's why they gave you up. You can't look for them. The big cities out there would eat you alive."_

Rapunzel shook her head, almost running past her own house. She didn't want these memories back. She'd compartmentalized them so well. It had taken her so long to do so...

She immediately went to her painting studio, grabbing bottles of paint and her easel. She didn't bother to change, nor did she bother to put an apron on. She wanted to slash a color across a canvas. And another, and another, until the whole thing was a muddy mess. Just like her mind. She didn't want to ruin a canvas, so she restrained herself. Then she just pounced gray across it with a sponge until smoke drifted in clouds. She'd made it this far, she'd kept it down so long; she couldn't break down now. She streaked a washed-out blue across it and layered white, darker blue, paler blue, and a muddy blue across the majority of the canvas. Watched it dry. She couldn't tell if she was seething or falling apart. She lost track of time. Forgot everything except the raging storm inside her head and the canvas in front of her. Grabbing a soft-leaded pencil as soon as the paint dried, she sketched a young girl drifting downwards, drowning under the lapping water that consumed her. Above water was a fire-stricken, smoke-engulfed mess, just barely shown above the waters. She painted a billowing white gown drifting around her; her brown hair splaying out like vines' tendrils. Her eyes were wide open, panicking. Her mouth gaped open desperately as she reached up towards the surface of the water with one hand; reaching for someone who would never come to her aid. Watching her work dry, she thought she had herself under control. Painting helped her; made her control her thoughts and emotions as she focused instead on intricate details. Her hands couldn't shake; her thoughts couldn't stray too far. When it once more dried, she brushed a gentle wash of blue paint across the girl, dimming her image realistically.

"Rapunzel?"  
She snapped to attention, gasping in surprise. Remembering that she'd promised dinner to Eugene, she let out another horrified gasp. Should she pretend she wasn't home? No, she wouldn't stiff him like her biological parents-or mother, rather- had. She'd have to fess up and tell him that she'd forgotten. Clearing her throat, she jumped up out of her seat, hearing the stairs creaking. He called her name again, asking if she was home. In a moment, he'd come up onto the next floor and realize she'd just spent the entire afternoon throwing her frustration out onto canvas.  
"Coming - just-just wait!" she exclaimed, but he was already up the stairs.  
He laughed. "I figured you were painting. I also brought dinner because I figured you'd be too busy to make anything this evening."

She plastered her well-practiced fake smile across her face. "You're not mad?"  
"No," he shook his head. "Why would I be? You have good reason to be distracted today."  
She swallowed. "You're so sweet."  
Eugene grinned, but watched her face closely. He knew she was hiding _something_, he just didn't know what yet. She glanced behind herself to set her paintbrush down, and he saw her canvas.  
"That's what you're working on?" he asked, easing past her to see it. He could tell that this painting was symbolic, but he didn't know what for. There were a few different conclusions that could be drawn, he decided: her 'old self' dying away and being replaced by another, a girl whose dreams were fulfilled? Something dark and sinister? Simply a painting?  
"Yes," she nodded, swallowing again nervously.  
"It's surprisingly dark for such an exciting day," he mentioned casually, casting a curious glance her way. "But it's fantastic nonetheless. You're a superb artist."  
"Not really," she bit her lip, "but thank you."  
"Oh, _yes_ really. You just don't want to admit it," he told her, "but with that aside, how did today go?"  
"Fine. It went smoothly, thanks," she flashed another smile, her insides growing chilly at the idea that he maybe could see past her facade she'd so quickly thrown on. She knew her acting wasn't the greatest, especially not around him.

He nodded absentmindedly, staring at her pensively. "Ah-huh. Why don't we go eat, and then you can tell me about it? Remember, you pinky-promised," he grinned.  
They went downstairs, and Rapunzel made herself eat. It was good food - from a pizzeria, not the diner - but she could barely eat. The food just clumped in her chest and refused to go down, it seemed. She managed to pack it away, but dinner was unusually quiet.  
"So, are you tired from today, or did something bad happen?" he asked, standing up to clear the table.  
She stood to do so as well, taking their glasses to the sink. She scrubbed them up and put them away, trying to decide how she could possibly tell him without the metaphorical dam breaking, ending with her a sobbing mess.  
She turned away from her cupboard to see he was leaning on her center counter, watching her with concern in his eyes.  
"I'm assuming, since you're not chattering eagerly, that something happened. C'mon, tell me."

"They stood me up," she said, her voice cracking. Her eyes filled with tears. "I-I waited for three hours, and they-they didn't come. Charlotte called me and said my mother didn't want any further contact from me or th-the orphanage. She sent me the email with the typed version of their conversation. Apparently, I'm a mistake." She wanted to say this in a cold, indifferent tone, but her voice warbled and cracked all over the place, and her throat closed off and threatened to choke her.  
Eugene's eyes were sympathetic. He wordlessly reached out to her. There was no use in avoiding it now. He wrapped his arms around her almost in a protective manner, and she crumpled under the weight of her disappointment. She leaned up against him as if he was her lifeline, sobbing harshly into his shirt. When she'd somewhat gained composure, he led her over to the couch. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest, rocking back and forth slightly.  
"I-I'm sorry," she glanced over at him, suddenly terrified that he'd think she was pathetic and leave. Maybe he should. He didn't deserve to have to sit there, watching her wallow in her own idiotic pain. She should've known, anyway!  
"It's okay," he reassured her.  
"I'm so stupid to think t-that they-"  
"No you're not, Rapunzel. You're not stupid," he peered at her with concern as she tried to control her trembling lip.

"It's just that...I've dreamed of this day for years - since I was twelve years old. I was so sure that they'd want me. Care about me. That's all I-I've really wanted all my life, but I can't have it, I guess. Someone to love me. Someone to love back. I don't understand. Wh-what did I do wrong? I feel like-like I'm going to drown. I've compartmentalized well for years, b-but now everything's coming back..." she trailed off, gulping for air. He reached to envelop her in his arms once more, and she set the pillow to the side, wrapping her arms around him so tightly he wondered if she was hanging on for dear life. Maybe she was. The way she buried her face in his chest, choking on her own tears as her shoulders shook...he wished he could take all her problems away. She was too precious of a young girl to be weeping like this, over a broken dream she'd relied on for a decade. She finally spoke up again. "It's like...thinking of meeting my parents was the one thing that stitched me back together when my mother's words would c-cut me, and I could push everything back. But n-now that that's gone, it's like someone ripped the stitches out before they were ready and left gaping wounds that were almost fixed. A-and I can't do this, Eugene. I'm scared." she finally finished in a small voice. It wasn't _just _the fact that her parents didn't care. Her parents, her adoptive mother, none of them cared. It felt like nobody cared about her. Because her guard was down now, everything she'd pushed to the back of her mind...every awful memory was flooding back. She hated it. She hated all of it. 

Eugene held her close until she pulled out of his arms. She immediately apologized for crying, but he brushed it off. Reaching to wipe her cheeks, he cupped her face in his hands. "It's okay. You've gotta let go of everything you've been holding back. Think of those tears as-as the thing that disinfects those gaping wounds you said about. We'll get you fixed up for good, I promise. Right now, why don't you go wash your face and dry your eyes?"  
She nodded, loosing a shuddering breath as she got up to scrub her face. He fixed a cup of tea up for her and had it ready by the time she came back out. He wished he take away everything that haunted those typically shimmery, happy green eyes, but since he couldn't, he could just try to help ease the burden. He'd also like to have a few '_words_' with the individuals that hurt her so, but he also knew that was unlikely and also very illegal.  
"Are you leaving?" she asked as soon as she saw he was in the kitchen. "I-I'm sorry I haven't been a good host-hostess, a-and-"  
He shook his head. "It's okay, Rapunzel. I promise. I thought you might like some tea. I'm not leaving," he reassured her. She looked ready to cry again as she followed him to the couch once more. They sat awkwardly while she downed her tea slowly, each watching the other from the corners of their eyes. One pair of eyes darting away as soon as they realized the other pair had seen them. Finally, Eugene spoke up. "Favorite movie? What is it?"  
"Huh?" she asked, confused.  
"I'll put it in so we can watch it," he said. "I'm not good with distraction, but I know movies are good distractions. Right?"  
She nodded. "Okay. Pick whichever movie you want. I'll watch anything," she said, sighing and setting her mug on the coffee table. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care that I saw you cry. I don't care that you _had _to get it out of your system. I do, however, have a problem with the fact that you think nobody cares about your problems and would rather flee than help you," he spoke slowly and surely as he inserted a disc into the DVD player. "You can't hold things in like this, you have to let them all go sometime. You just did, and I'm glad you did. It takes a special kind of strong to hold all that in, let alone let it back out and get rid of it instead of letting all those bad memories fester inside of you. You're strong, Rapunzel. You're a fighter. You'll get through this, sweetheart. You did once, remember. These are just memories."

She realized he had a good point. "I know. It just...seems so real. All over again."  
He nodded, sitting down as the movie began to play. "Understandable, but they're all gone. They'll fade. They don't deserve to take up residency in your mind, anyway."  
She nodded, staring at her hands, which she'd folded up in her lap. "You're right." After a pause, she bit her lip and spoke up again. "Can I-do you mind if I-"  
He gave her a sad smile, nodded, and opened his arms, pulling her snug up against his side. "You're safe and sound. Whatever nightmares you relived today...they're not real. You got through the real deal, so you can for sure get rid of the ghosts."  
She stayed silent, staring at the television and slowly letting herself relax. He was right - she was safe. She didn't need to trust or believe all the things she'd been told, the things that were coming back. She'd find something else to live for. She'd be okay. Maybe letting go of all these memories, and her obsession with finding her parents...maybe it was for the best. Today, she'd found out that her parents didn't care for her, and while she could barely stand the thought, she'd been silly to think they might. And besides...she pulled her gaze away from the television to glance up at the young man whose strong arms were protecting her from the memories trying to drown her alive. Maybe someone did care, after all.

About two-thirds through the movie, Rapunzel's head dropped to Eugene's shoulder; she'd fallen fast asleep. He dropped a careful kiss into her hair after he was sure she wouldn't wake, and let the movie play the rest of the way, wondering if she'd wake back up. It had been a taxing day for the poor thing, so she stayed asleep, head on his shoulder and slim build nestled close up against him. As the credits were rolling, he slipped away, easing her onto her side on the couch. She stayed asleep, so he put the DVD away, turned the television off, and finally went in search of a blanket to cover her with. When he had done this and had spread the blanket across her sleeping form, her eyes flickered open and she lifted her head up. "Wh...what-"  
"Shh. Go back to sleep; you fell asleep while we were watching the movie. I'm heading back to my apartment, okay?"  
She blinked and nodded, waking up enough to make sense of his words. "Okay."  
"I'll see you tomorrow. Rest up," he whispered, and then headed for the door.  
"Wait," she called quietly. He turned around just before she strode over to hug him. He rubbed her back comfortingly until she let go. "Thank you." She impulsively reached up on tiptoe to kiss his jaw.  
He nodded, catching her into one last, quick hug. "It'll be alright."  
"I know."  
He left, and she meandered back to the couch, crawling underneath the blanket he'd spread over her. She was too exhausted to bother going to her bedroom. Pascal crawled to the armrest on the couch and tucked his tail over his face, hoping the girl wouldn't cry anymore: he needed sleep! Luckily, she'd cried until she couldn't even produce tears any longer, and was too tired to start thinking and over-thinking once more. Those nightmarish memories would leave her alone tonight, at least. Maybe.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Rapunzel woke up tired. She crawled into the shower and let the water wash over her face, hoping to relieve her crusty, burning eyes. She pulled clean clothes on and padded down to the kitchen, grabbing a granola bar and making herself eat it. Then she fed Pascal and was on her way. The weather seemed to reflect her mood: rainy, cool, and dreary in general.

At the bookstore, she clocked in and immediately started rearranging shelves. Her mind was still muddled. Thoughts of her failure of a dream mixed with the sudden knowledge that Eugene could very well have somehow taken advantage of her vulnerable self yesterday - be it manipulation or making her feel worthless, if he was the type to do so - and yet, he hadn't. He'd simply stayed there with her; reassured her she'd be okay. Upon thinking of this, the image of yesterday's painting had flooded her mind. When she'd painted that, she'd seen her parents just above the surface; she was reaching up through the metaphorical water she was drowning in; trying to grasp onto them, to pull herself into the safety and protection she'd yearned for for years. But just when she'd given up on the idea that she'd survive her mental storm unscathed, a hand had thrust through that nightmarish water and pulled her to dry ground: Eugene Fitzherbert. She owed him. She just didn't know how to repay him.

Before her lunch break, she went to the supply room to get another box of books for the "mystery" aisle. Eugene was unloading boxes from the early-morning trip, so she fell in step with him, hauling boxes inside the supply room.  
When they were done, he smiled. "Hey, you. Thanks,"  
"You're welcome," she said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.  
"How are you doing today?" he asked, crossing his arms and watching her eyes.  
She shrugged. "Tired, but I'm okay. Thank you, by the way. I owe you a lot for staying with me."  
"Then we're even," he grinned. "I owe you for helping me out when I was in a bad spot, and you say you owe me for helping _you _out. Cancels it all out."  
She gave a small laugh. "Hmm. You don't owe me, though, for when you were homeless."  
"And you don't owe me," he threw back. "Glad we got that outta the way. And I'm glad you trusted me with all your troubles last night. I know you're not the type of person to just blurt everything out to the first person who'll listen."  
"You're _glad_ you had to sit with me, listen to me blubber on about personal issues, get your shirt all wet because I was crying on it, and then have me fall asleep up against you, probably drooling?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I'm saying I'm glad you trusted me enough to _do_ so. You've held things back for so long."  
She shrugged, nibbling her lip. "It's second nature for me."  
"I know, and I get it," he said. "And, for the record? If you need a shoulder to cry on ever again, let me know. Alright?"  
Her eyebrows rose, but then crumpled together. "You're so nice, Eugene. Really, you are. I'll probably be taking you up on that offer. You'll be sick of me," she only half-joked.  
"I doubt that very seriously," he grinned. "What're you doing this evening?"  
"Probably sleeping," she laughed. "My eyes hurt."  
He chuckled. "Okay." He held back his offer of taking her out for dinner. She probably wanted some alone time, anyway. "Well, I suppose I should let you get back to work. What're you looking for?"  
"Mystery," she said, so he located and gave her the box of mystery-genre books.

At the end of the day, Eugene walked Rapunzel home, as was his usual. When they got to her doorstep, Eugene stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I have to help Levi repair something on the truck in about half an hour, but when I'm done with that, do you want me to come back for awhile?"  
She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine. Thank you," she reached to hug him, and he hugged her tight. She'd gone through way too much.


	13. Chapter 13

Eugene was on his way back home after a long day at work. It was a particularly dreary kind of day in late October, and he couldn't wait until he could get home to crash, likely on the middle of his floor. He'd walked Rapunzel home, as was normal, and tomorrow would be their diner night. Neither of them used the term 'date', though it surely would have been easier to say. She had bounced back fairly quickly from the blow her biological mother had caused, but was still working on letting go of the insults, specifically the "mistake" one, which had been such a blow.

During this, though, Eugene proved to be loyal and incredibly caring. Everything she'd ever wanted, ever dreamed of. It popped into her mind that she loved him, and very much so; but she was quick to bury the idea - she was terrified that she'd end up in a similar situation someday, crying over _him_; his betrayal, his departure.

Eugene's thoughts were centered around Rapunzel as he walked when someone grabbed him from behind. He kicked and let out a howl, but another hand clamped over his mouth, and he was hauled backwards into an alley. Someone spun him around and pinned him harshly against a cold brick building. The red haired man towered over him, his mute brother standing beside with a knife.  
"Stabbingtons," Eugene breathed. Of course, that was not their last name or their names at all; 'The Stabbingtons' was merely the name they sold drugs under. Their real names, or first names, at least, were Craig and Daniel. Twins. Both abnormally tall at nearly seven feet. They could easily beat someone to death. He'd witnessed that nearly happen, once, and that's what had tipped him off to their involvement with drugs.  
"That's right, pretty boy. Do you think we'd ever forget what you owe us?" the one brother said. His breath reeked, and Eugene held back the urge to cringe away.

"No, sir. Would never have imagined it," he shook his head. "I'm working on that, actually. And if you kill me, I can't help you. Pay you back. So put the knife down, for Pete's sake, Craig!" he glared towards the other brother, who stuffed the knife into the waist of his torn jeans and crossed his arms.  
"Don't worry. We wouldn't want to kill someone who owes us. No, we found out what you've been up to, Rider. We know about her." Eugene thought fast. He was used to thinking fast, getting out of sticky situations. Granted, this situation was a little more than just sticky - more like 'stuck-to-a-strip-of-Gorilla-Glue' -, however.  
"What 'she'? My coworker? That ugly thing?" he gave a convincing laugh. "I just walk her home from work because she's a sissy and afraid people like you will find her."  
"Do you think we're dumb, Rider?" Daniel spat, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, slamming his head against the wall.  
"No, but do you think _I'm _dumb?" he asked.  
"Unfortunately, we know you aren't." He sneered. "But here's where we come to the point of this little meeting."  
"Really? The part where you let me go and I call the cops on you?" Eugene asked harshly.

"You wish," The man chuckled, releasing a puff of putrid breath. "No, it's the part where we know what your soft spot is."  
"What soft spot? I'm as hard as-"  
"Rapunzel Louisa Dyneen."  
Eugene paled and felt his stomach flip. "What would you want with her?"  
"We know she's your soft spot. We also know that you're liable to not keep your mouth shut and report us. You owe us. But we're willing to let your debts go unpaid if you leave town by tomorrow. We know where she lives, Rider. And you know we won't hesitate to hurt her if you don't leave. And we won't, by the way. Craig here already has it all planned out. She'll think it's a simple home break-in, but..." he trailed off and glanced back towards Craig, who revealed a small handgun. Eugene felt his head start to swim as if he'd pass out any second.  
"Why bother her?"  
Daniel laughed. "Because you like her, moron. And the first thing you do for someone who's screwed you over? Take away the one thing they can't stand to lose."  
"Sounds a bit overdone, to me. Happens far too often in books and-"  
"Because it's effective," Daniel pointed out.  
"Touche," he nodded, gulping. "You know, if you'd just let things slide, I'd pay back every cent you ever gave to me."  
The man shook his head. "You have to leave. Now. And keep your mouth shut. If words gets out to anyone, she's as good as dead, even if you _do _leave town."  
Eugene bit the inside of his cheek, thinking hard. He could take Rapunzel. Run. Live in Maine, maybe. Pennsylvania. Ohio. California. Anywhere but New York. "When do I have to be gone by?"  
"Tomorrow at this time. Nine o'clock PM," Daniel said. "And don't think we won't check."  
Eugene's heart twisted. "Okay. But how do I know you'll keep your end of the deal?"  
"You won't," he shrugged, letting Eugene go and turning to leave. But then he swung back around on his heel, catching Eugene in the nose and then in the gut, leaving him doubled over with blood streaming freely from his nose. "And come to think of it, this is just a sample of what'll happen to _both _of you if you don't leave."

Eugene stumbled out of the alley and to his apartment, but then turned around and ran for Rapunzel's. He had to warn her. To try to get her to leave with him. He couldn't leave her alone. Not in the wake of her biological parents' mess, and now with Daniel, Craig, _and _her mother, all on her heels!  
By the time he got to her apartment, pounding on the door and heaving, out of breath, his nosebleed had stopped to a slow, thick trickle. Rapunzel opened her door, fastening a thin robe around her pajamas, and immediately gasped.  
"What on earth happened, Eugene?" her eyes were wide with fear, and she pulled him inside. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"  
"No," he shook his head and gulped. "No. But listen, Rapunzel, and listen close. We have to leave. Now."  
"What are you talking about? A-are you okay? Do you remember where you were when you got hu-"  
"Rapunzel, I'm fine! They-the..." he trailed off, composed his thoughts, and then blurted the whole issue, complete with his solution, to a wide-eyed Rapunzel.  
She pressed her fingers to her mouth. "Oh, no," she shook her head. "No, Eugene. Just-just call the police, Eugene! Think for a minute, calm down and _then _think this through! I don't even know them. How do they know me?"  
"They're awful, Rapunzel, they know _everybody_. And they know about you and I - so...so they know you," he shook his head.  
"It's an empty threat. Generic," she reassured him. "You could stay here and lay low for awhile-"  
He backed away, shaking his head. "No, you don't know them. They're- I saw them beat someone almost to death over a drug deal once. I owe them, which is even worse. They _will _come for you. I can't leave you here alone, Rapunzel, and I don't want to, but I can't risk staying here and letting them come for you!"

She bit her lip, but then turned to get the phone beside the door. "I'm calling the p-"  
Eugene snatched the phone out of her hands. "You _can't_. They'll know, Rapunzel, and I can't let them hurt you!"  
"They aren't expecting a call so soon! I don't care what you say, Eugene, we could tell the police and have it over with by tonight!"  
"They're elusive, Rapunzel -no, they're _drug dealers_. They're worse than elusive. They disappear. They slip off into their slimy little holes and disappear anytime they hear a freaking siren."  
"Then they can keep the sirens off, for goodness' sake! Think for a minute, Eugene!" she yelped.  
"I have been!" he raised his voice.  
She lowered her own voice, realizing that they were about to go into a shouting match. "With the mind of a scared man," she said, forcing herself to calm down. She'd been in this situation before: trying to get away from someone who was very powerful and unafraid of using violence. She pulled him further into her house, shut and locked the door. Drew the curtains. Turned the lights off and then found a small candle, which she set far away from any windows. As she did this, she let Eugene cool off.  
Finally, she touched his arm in the dim light, tugging him towards the candle.  
"Eugene, we're not stupid. We're going to make a plan, and we're going to act on it. I know you know they're dangerous, but my adoptive mother is, too, and I got away from her. So together, we surely will be able to make a foolproof plan."

He took a deep breath and held it. "I don't want you getting hurt,"  
She gave him a reassuring gaze. "I won't. And you won't, either. I promise."

* * *

The woman waited for the men to return. She kept the drapes pulled in her house; no one could see her.  
She was a murderess.  
The boys needed someone taken care of? She took care of the issue. Someone needed to be convinced of something? She took care of the issue. If she didn't do it directly, she gave them specific directions. Where to hit, how to hit, how many _times _to hit, what buttons to push to make someone suffer the most physically and mentally.  
And this time, when she heard that little mister Flynn Rider was dating her flower...she made a request herself.  
Destroy her.  
Not Flynn - not physically, anyway.  
But Rapunzel Louisa? She was to be destroyed. Buried. If her adoptive mother couldn't have her, _nobody_ could.

The plan was intricate.  
Craig and Daniel - The Stabbingtons - had been hired four years ago to keep an eye on Rapunzel. When they finally found her, they'd witnessed the budding relationship between her and one person they loathed the most.  
They'd immediately reported this to Veronica Coniley - codename Mother Gothel. Also known as Rapunzel's adoptive mother.  
The woman had clicked her long, dagger-like nails together and smiled cruelly. This was what she'd been waiting for. They waited until the pair were close and it was blatantly obvious that they'd do anything for one another.  
Then, The Stabbingtons had been released to do what they do best: threaten and beat up a little. She couldn't wait to sink her nails into the soft skin of that wretched girl's neck; make her pay for leaving.


	14. Chapter 14

By three AM, the plan was all figured out. Eugene left her house to go to his apartment, knowing that if the brothers were truly watching him, they'd know if he 'skipped town'.

The next day, Rapunzel talked to Levi and offered to let him drive her car to pick up books that day. It was a pickup out-of town, but a very small amount of books, which would all fit in the back seat. She'd said that Eugene had gone down to the same town for something and if Levi could pick him up at the town's local mall, it would be great - and thank you, she always added. Eugene told Mr. Barnes that he needed to take the day off because he was sick. In reality, he _was_. His stomach threatened to heave his measly breakfast back up, and he was worried sick. If this plan didn't go through...  
He packed some of his belongings in a grocery bag. Jogged down the flights of stairs and went outside. Glanced around as if he was nervous. He was. And then he tried to disappear. Quickly. For this to all work, he had to be out of town and meet up with Levi at that town's mall at exactly two-o-clock. And of course, it had to be a rainy day to boot. The wet stuff pattered on Eugene's head, trickled down between his jacket, shirt, and the bare skin beneath, and made puddles that soaked his jean hems.

Rapunzel stared out of the bookstore window, worrying not about herself but of Eugene. This plan had to go flawlessly. And...if something happened and he didn't show up in time for Levi to pick him up...she would not have even said goodbye. She blinked away the thought and watched the raindrops race down the window.  
"What's the matter, dear?" Ms. Neelson called. It was a dead day; only a few customers had come in so far.  
"Oh, nothing," Rapunzel turned and smiled towards the older lady. Nobody had ever seen her upset before. It probably wasn't a good sign that she'd let her masks slip; not right now.  
"I'm sure your guy will be on the mend by tomorrow," she reassured her.

"My guy?" Rapunzel asked, furrowing her brows.  
"Well, you're obviously really worried about him calling off sick," she pointed out. "Nobody gets that concerned unless they really love someone." Ms. Nelson gave her an all-knowing, indulgent smile.  
Rapunzel sucked in a deep breath. She could play this three different ways. Fake concern for him, say she was worrying about something else, or - or, she could fess up.  
"Yeah," she agreed quietly, returning to watching the raindrops on the windowpane.

One of the few customers that came the entire day was a woman who would have been tall, if it weren't for the way she walked; stooped over slightly with her face downcast. She wore a heavy, black scarf over and around her head, hiding her graying hair. Her skin held a mildly yellow tint and was loose. Her clothes and jacket hung loosely over her form. She reeked of a smoke Rapunzel had smelled before, but couldn't quite place. She had gone through a few aisles of books, purchased one - a murder mystery - and left. Rapunzel stared after her for a long time before a realization nearly sent her reeling. The smoke smell. _The smoke smell! _  
Her adoptive mother.

Eugene met Levi just on time. He'd forced down a burger and the greasy thing was threatening to come back up. He was still worried sick over this stupid plan.  
"Bro," Levi said as soon as he crawled into the car. "You don't look good."  
"Don't feel good," Eugene swallowed an acidic burp and grimaced. "I don't think Rapunzel will appreciate a vomited-in car, right?"  
Levi chuckled. "That's _not _what you want to do. 'Hey sweetie, I love you. Also, I threw up in your car.'"  
Eugene shook his head. "That's fantastic."  
"Have you told her yet?" he asked. "Speaking of which."  
Eugene shook his head and shut his eyes. "No."  
"You need to before someone else snatches her up."  
"You jealous?" Eugene asked. He peeled one eye open to evaluate Levi's profile.  
"No," Levi shook his head. "But someone will be someday."  
"Yeah," Eugene said quietly. He tugged the hood of his jacket up over his head in an attempt to somewhat hide his face.

Eugene laid low in the car when Levi stopped to unload the boxes. The burger had come back for revenge on the ride back, and Eugene had just prayed for the poor soul in the car behind him, with the windows down, when he had leaned out the window to wretch as they went sixty miles-per-hour down the highway.  
Despite Eugene's rolling stomach, he _also _needed to lay low in case _they _came to check the car out. They didn't, thankfully, and Levi offered to drive Eugene back to his apartment.  
"I need to go back to Rapunzel's so I can drop her car off - she said she didn't want to leave it in the parking lot for some reason - so I'll be happy to drop you off at your apartment," he said.  
Eugene shook his head. "Rapunzel told me she had some medicine at her place that might help with my nausea, so just drop me off with the car. I can walk back, it might do me some good," he said, unconvincingly.  
Levi gave him a calculating stare, but agreed after some more convincing.

At Rapunzel's house, Eugene pulled the car back into her small backyard, so it couldn't be seen from the road. He fished the key Rapunzel had given him the night before - or that morning, whatever you wanted to say - and entered through the back. Locking the door and then making sure everything was untouched - meaning, nobody had broken into her place -, he headed up to the room Rapunzel had described as her hidden escape. He hadn't known that the girl had a _library _in her house: a small little room that swung out away from the building in a circular, tower-like shape, with no windows pointing towards the road but instead towards the backyard. And she had it full of books. He loved her a little bit more. All the same, he pulled the curtains on this small, hidden room, which only held entrance through her bedroom, and sat on the floor with an old book that smelled beautiful.

Rapunzel walked to the diner. It was diner night. She had to keep up an appearance.  
"Aw, honey, where's your guy?"  
_Your guy. _Everyone was calling him that. Rapunzel took another deep breath. Acting. She was good at acting. Her lip trembled. "He left me," she whimpered.  
The waitress sympathized with her, letting her know that she didn't need anyone like that.  
"I don't even know if maybe he'll come back. Maybe he needed some time or space to himself or something. He didn't give any real reason." Rapunzel saw two gigantic men sitting at the far end of the diner and raised her voice slightly, making it shrill and unhappy. "He just _left_!" If those were the brothers that had beaten Eugene up, they'd just gotten tipped off.

She ate her meal slowly and noticed that a woman had joined the two tall men. The hair on the back of Rapunzel's neck stood up on end. When she left the diner, she tried to pace herself instead of running. She was supposed to be clueless.

At her beautiful Victorian house, she quickly locked her doors and grabbed her phone, keeping it on hand. She jogged up her steps two at a time and raced into her little library. Eugene jumped to his feet, but when he saw it was her, he relaxed. She took a deep breath herself and swallowed.  
"My adoptive mother's in on it," Rapunzel told him. "We're going to be outnumbered. I should have seen it coming, she's-of course she would've hired someone to find me. She's coming for me. You said they're good at hunting people down, right?"  
He nodded, trying to take the news in stride for her sake. They'd be outmanned, but not outsmarted. Hopefully. "We'll pull it off," he promised. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a pocket knife. "I'm staying here 'til this thing gets solved, especially since your adoptive mother will probably be coming after you. But I don't want you unarmed. Take it and if you need to, _use _it. Can you promise me you will?"  
Rapunzel stared at the thing in his hand, which he was stretching out towards her. The scar on her arm seemed to come alive again, burning with the searing pain she'd felt when the knife had slipped through the skin of her arm. She swallowed and shook her head, backing away. "N-no. I'm sorry. I-I..I can't," she covered her scar with her hand and rubbed it subconsciously.  
Eugene caught the gesture and pocketed the knife, shaking his head. "It's okay. That's fine. Do you have a...I don't know, a bat or-" he paused as he heard a thump.  
Rapunzel swung around towards the door, but then dropped to the floor and crawled on all fours, peering out of the bottom of the curtain.  
"Back entrance. They're coming," Rapunzel hissed.


	15. Chapter 15

Rapunzel pounded down the steps ahead of Eugene. He wanted to grab her, force her in a room and maybe even lock her in so she couldn't go down there and get hurt, but it was too late. He half ran, half fell down the stairs after her, and they entered the floor level at about the same time the trio did.  
"Well, flower," the woman smiled cruelly, and Rapunzel swallowed hard. She went into panic mode at the sight of the woman. She had to keep her head. She had to act -_yes! She had to act! _  
"Miss me?" Rapunzel asked coolly, cocking her head to the side. Eugene wanted to spring into action, but knew Rapunzel was improvising - and improvising well, he had to admit. He was amazed. He could see through it; see how tense and scared she was, but to anyone else, she was a cold, snarky little snob.  
"Well, that's why I'm here, dear. You know, you never should have left." She lifted her gaze to Eugene, and her eyes flashed. "Boys?"

Rapunzel glanced behind her. Made eye contact with Eugene. "Catch," she said quietly, throwing her phone at him. He caught it, and because of that simple movement, the marionette strings were broken. Everyone acted on their own, chaotic accord. Rapunzel ducked past Veronica. Fell down on her rear, tumbled, and was immediately back on her feet in the kitchen. Craig and Daniel went after Eugene. He caught sight of the candlestick from last night and grabbed it, throwing it at one of the brothers and stunning him in the disarray. The man fell forward, and Eugene pulled his head into a choke hold, rendering the man unconscious but still alive. He glanced back up in time to see Rapunzel literally throw a frying pan at Daniel's head. Her aim was impeccable, and he slumped across the counter. But neither moved quickly enough. Veronica sprang for Rapunzel, grabbed her from behind, and held a long knife to her slim throat.

The chaos froze in time, just as quickly as it had begun. Rapunzel's chest rose and fell in fast, shallow puffs, and she stretched her neck to try to escape the blade. Eugene's insides grew cold. What did he do? If he made an advance, would the woman slit her neck? Kill her? What would she do if he _didn't _make an advance?  
He met Rapunzel's fearful eyes, and she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. He'd never felt more helpless.  
Neither had Rapunzel. She didn't care about the blade. But what would she do to Eugene if she killed her, too?  
"I told you, flower. I told you not to leave."  
Rapunzel focused herself on the woman's gravelly voice; the very sound that made chills rain down her arms and spine. "I know...mother. I know. I should never have left. If you-if you forgive me, I want to go with you. Just leave Eugene out of this mess. It's not his fault I'm stupid. Is it?"  
The woman was quiet for a moment, chewing this over. She'd subdued her faster than expected. "It isn't. But you still have to pay the price of leaving me, darling. I'm not letting him go like that."  
Rapunzel forced her muscles to relax. "Then I won't go with you. You have to promise me you'll let him go. You won't tell a soul, will you, Flynn?" she asked.  
He was on pace with what she was doing. "No. I don't want anything to do with this mess," he said, backing up a step.

Veronica's grip on the knife relaxed. Rapunzel bit the woman's hand, forcing her to drop the knife. She hardly felt the blade graze her cheek as it swung upward before it was dropped, but then she wrenched away from Veronica's grasp and leaped away. She grabbed another pan and swung it at Veronica, but the swift woman ducked, and she instead took out the glass that was on the counter behind her. Eugene ran to grab the frying pan Rapunzel had used on Daniel and appeared behind Veronica, nestling the pan down on her thick, graying curls with as much strength as he could muster. She crumpled to the floor.

Rapunzel stared at him, barely registering what had just happened. But then, wailing sirens bombarded her senses, and she glanced around in surprise. Three officers - two male and a female - pounded on the door, and Rapunzel immediately ran to let them in. One of her neighbors, the old man who had shown Eugene kindness during his homeless stretch, stood behind them.  
"I saw someone try to break in," he said gruffly. Peering around her, he chuckled. "But I see you've got it taken care of. I'll leave you to your evening." With that, the man left.

Rapunzel kept it together; shakily explained what had happened - a break in, how Veronica had abused her as a child, and Eugene explained that the brothers were drug dealers.  
The officers explained that they knew who they were: all three were wanted for murders, drugs, and burglary.  
"For how long?" Rapunzel asked.  
"Seven years for her, ten for the brothers," the younger male officer clipped out.  
Her eyes widened. "That's what she did when she went out for entire nights through my teen years..." she murmured. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have known-"  
The female, Officer Elderson, shook her head. "You're just fine. They're in our custody now. It's not your fault for not knowing." A device clipped to her belt yelped a tone out, and she glanced down at it. The other two police officers did the same.  
"Break in between 6th and Little Mahoning Street," the tall, older, gray-haired male officer said. "Head out. You take care now."  
"Thank you," Rapunzel said quietly, Eugene echoing her.

And with that, it was done.  
Rapunzel's mind was churning and frozen all at the same time. All she could process was Eugene's open arms, which he presented as soon as the officers had left. She stumbled over to him and collapsed up against him, too numb to even really cry. All those years, and she'd been living with a murderer...whose lives had been taken while she was still living there? Could she have done anything about it? What...  
It all came tumbling out of her mouth. "What if I could've done something? Why didn't I know she was killing people? I lived with her! And-and-and she was going to kill you too, and oh-"  
Eugene tightened his grasp around her. "It's okay," he murmured. "You didn't know. You helped them catch her today. It's okay."  
She buried her face in his shirt, and he stroked her hair wordlessly until she pulled away. The words she wanted to say stuck deep in her throat, so she just hugged him again. But then she saw the smear of blood on his shirt. "Oh-are-are you hurt?"  
He glanced down, but then focused on her cheek. "No, but you are. Her knife must've nicked you or something. Come on, I'll put a bandage on it."  
She touched her cheek and winced. "Think that'll leave a scar, too?"  
He shook his head. "It shouldn't, it's pretty shallow."  
She nodded. "I can fix myself up," she told him, wandering to the bathroom.

Eugene glanced around, deciding to sweep up the broken glass shards from the floor while she was cleaning her cheek. He also picked up the frying pans - pretty useful tools they were after all! - and set them in the sink.  
Rapunzel rinsed her face, carefully disinfected her cheek with hydrogen peroxide, and winced as it bubbled and fizzled. She put a bandage on it and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was pale and her eyelashes still damp from splashing her face. She suddenly grew tired, as if all the energy had drained out of her, and leaned up against the sink's counter for support. Swallowing, she made herself focus. _My adoptive mother's not going to bother anyone again. Never going to hurt anyone again. Eugene's safe, Daniel and Craig are gone now too. Everyone's okay. You're okay. Everything's okay. Don't pass out. Don't pass out. _  
"Rapunzel?" His voice kept her from succumbing to the black tunnel she was fading into. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes," she called quietly, but she couldn't help the shakiness in her voice.  
"If you're ready, do you wanna come out here? You sound pretty shaky. I don't want you passing out and hitting your head or anything. Adrenaline rushes will do that to you."

She swallowed a few times, though her throat felt sandpaper dry. She made it out of the bathroom door and stumbled a few steps. "I get that," she joked weakly. He was at her side in an instant, and actually picked her up and carried her to the couch.  
"Head between your knees," he instructed quietly, and she did as she was told. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing he wouldn't shout and also wishing that the high pitched ringing in her ears would stop. The world seemed to shift from side to side, so she tried to focus on Eugene's hand, which was stroking hair on the back of her head. When she finally felt better, minus the clammy sweat she'd started, she slowly sat back up. "You okay?" he asked, searching her face. His own face looked pale, but he seemed to be working through it better.  
She nodded. "Thank you," she said, taking a deep breath and blinking. "Are you okay?"  
The young man nodded. "Just gimme a minute." She watched him carefully, watching the color slowly flood back to his face after he shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw her peering at him from underneath her thick black lashes, and he pulled her into another embrace before she could distance herself, blushing like she had so many times before.

They just sat wrapped in each others' arms for so long they lost track of time. Not speaking, just comforted with the other's presence. Rapunzel, at one point, sucked in a shuddering breath, like a small child after a long cry. Eugene pulled away, giving her a concerned gaze. "Are you okay?"  
She nodded, slightly embarrassed. She had circled back to thinking about how she'd lived with a murderess for three years without even knowing. "Yeah. S-sorry. Do you want to go home? If you do, you can. I'm sorry, you're probably really tired." She stared down at her lap, realizing that it was very dark out. Who knows how much time had passed? "Or I can drive you."  
"Do you _want _me to leave?" he asked.  
"I don't fit into that equation," she said. "I'll be okay."  
"You fit into the equation more than you might think," he said, half to himself. Again, she wanted to tell him - _everything - _but this time, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. "I'm not tired and if you want me to stay, I'll stay. But if _you're _tired and want some alone time, I'll go. Hitting that question into your ballpark," he grinned.  
She gave a small smile despite herself and while she thought, she reached to fix a few strands of his brown hair, which had fallen into his face. He was mildly surprised by this small gesture, and for the rest of the night, wished he would've said something to her right then and there.  
"I'll let you get home before it gets any later," she said finally. "Do you want me to drive you?"  
"I'm good," he shook his head and stood, offering his hands to her. She slipped her small, cold hands into his large, warm ones and he helped her up, but she pulled them away and reached to hug him one more time. "You're sure you'll be okay?"  
"Yes. Not tonight, maybe, but I'll be okay sooner or later."

He nodded. "You were brave tonight. I don't know how you did it, because I was a wreck, but you did."  
"I was so scared you'd get hurt," she said quietly.  
"I was scared _you'd _get hurt, too, but you pulled stuff off better than I did."  
"You took out the one brother _and _Veronica, I think you-"  
He chuckled. "But you did all the acting."  
She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head up against his chest. "I'm tired of _acting. _Hiding everything..."  
Eugene hugged her a little closer. "Then stop. You can, now."  
After he left, she decided she would. When she'd put Pascal in his tank, prayed and read a little in her Bible, and buried herself underneath blankets in her bed, the first thing she did was cry her eyes out.


	16. Chapter 16

_"Why bother with those silly romance novels, dear? No one will ever care. Why subject yourself to dreaming? You waste your time and get sidetracked from things that count, like your chores."  
Rapunzel stuffed the book hastily under her pillow and stood up. "I just like to think about what it'd be like if...if someone would fall in love with me," she admitted quietly.  
The woman laughed. "Nobody will, and besides - you don't need someone to love you that way. You have your mummy, and you have a roof over your head and a full belly. What more could you want?"  
Rapunzel felt guilty. "Sorry, Mother."  
"Give the book to me. I'll take care of it," she said, holding her hand out. Rapunzel gave it to her. It wasn't a __**bad **__book, or dirty or anything; it was very clean and simple and sweet. But her mother thought it ludicrous that she was reading it, so she had to give it up. _

_The older boy, Kenny, scoffed at Eugene, grabbing the fairytale from him. "Happily ever afters? Really, Bad Luck Fitzherbert?"  
"I like it," he said, "give it back!"  
"Never. Ooh, do you like reading about sissy stuff like kissing and falling in love? Ooo-" He held it just out of reach for the younger boy, who never gave up. He finally snatched the book away from the older boy.  
"I don't care what you think!" he snapped. "This is the only way I get to see what it's like to be loved."  
"Said like a true wimp. Yeah, 'cuz you never will. Why even bother?" Kenny asked, striding off, his damage done. _

Rapunzel heard a soft knock on her door. Casting an uncertain glance towards Pascal - as if he could tell her who it was - she set her book down on the couch and padded over to the door, cracking it open and peeking outside, squinting at the raindrops that pounded to the ground.  
"It's me," the familiar voice came.  
She breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door wide. "Oh! Hey. Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, I'm a little jumpy today-and it's raining! What're you doing out in the rain? Your jacket's soaked clear through! It's been _pouring _all day!"  
He laughed. "I just wanted to check up on you after yesterday."  
"And you walked twenty minutes in the rain just to check up on me?" She asked incredulously. She watched as he removed the jacket and hung it carefully on the doorknob, nudging the doormat closer so it would catch the liquid dripping off of it.  
He shrugged. Was it really that big of a deal? "How _are _you?"  
"Okay," she nodded, and she meant it. The night before, she'd let go of all the things she'd held back all her life. She didn't feel empty, necessarily: she felt _free_. Fresh. Relieved. And it was because of him. "I'm a little nervous, obviously, since my house kinda got broken into yesterday, but...relieved because I know she's never going to hurt me again, and _you're _never going to be hurt by those men. How are you?" Rapunzel impulsively reached to hug him, despite the damp shirt that clung to his form.  
Eugene hugged her back. "I'm fine, but I'm better knowing that you're not a complete wreck or reconsidering having her picked up by the police, or something."  
She shook her head firmly. "No. She was awful, and I know that. Last night I let go of all of that."  
"Okay," he said. "Well, I'm glad to know you're doing okay."  
Rapunzel nibbled her lip. "Since you're here, why don't you stick around 'til the rain stops? I just got a DVD rental in the mail, so if you're interested, we could watch that..?"  
He nodded, but glanced down at himself. His jacket had protected him somewhat, but his pants were soaked from the driving rain, and his sneakers, which he'd worn in place of his now-disintegrated cowboy boots, hadn't held up well against the wet puddles. "I'm kind of wet, though - not sure if you want me sitting anywhere."

She laughed. "I don't care! I'll set a towel down on the couch if you're worried, though. The movie's that mystery that we were talking about awhile back."  
"Mm, sounds good," he nodded. "I'll grab the towel."  
She shook her head and grinned. "I'll get the DVD started up. I can't believe you walked twenty minutes in the pouring rain just to check up on me. I'm not that important."  
He bit off the response that almost slipped past his mouth: _people do weird things when they're in love, I guess_. Jogging about five miles in the absolute torrential downpour to check on her didn't seem like a big deal to him.  
They settled on the couch with the film blasting on the television in front of them. Rapunzel slowly inched closer until she was eventually curled up comfortably against his still-slightly-damp side, glancing up uncertainly to see if he minded. He grinned and gladly let her nestle underneath his arm. She realized, once more, how safe she felt when she was around him. Warm. Pleasant. Loved. _I need to tell him.  
_

After the movie was over, she turned the television off and put the DVD back in its mailing sleeve, and then went to the kitchen to make hot cocoa.  
"Do you want anything?" she asked. He shook his head, but watched her as she moved from a cupboard to the sink, then to the counter and the pantry; finally, to the microwave and then the fridge, pouring a dribble of milk into the warm cup. She stirred it into a contained chocolate hurricane, ensuring that the dregs were completely dissolved. She took a sip of it and then glanced up at Eugene, wondering at the strange expression on his face - like someone caught between a rock and a hard place. "What's the matter? You look conflicted."  
He swallowed. Dare he tell her and run the risk of ruining their platonic relationship? He couldn't bear the thought. Was she ready to hear it? Maybe. Maybe not. But there was only one way to find out. "I'm terrified to tell you, but...I need to say something and I hope I don't scare you."  
"I have to tell you something, too. But you've...got my attention...?" her voice tilted up as if asking a question.  
He shuffled a little closer, and she caught the affection in his eyes before he barely breathed it. "I'm in love with you."

She sucked in a deep breath, and he took her mug and set it on the center counter before it slipped from her grasp. Her mind was thundering, and so was her heart. She wasn't surprised, but so _happy. _ Her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth, so she just opened her mouth a few times, producing a few small, unintelligible sounds. But then she grabbed his face in her hands, swung up on tiptoe, and then seemed to lose her chutzpah before she could really kiss him. As a result, she just touched her lips against his, her face burning red as she realized she didn't really even know _how _to kiss. But before she could pull away, Eugene put a hand on the back of her head, guiding it gently to the side and drawing her into a slow, gentle kiss. When it ended, she let her eyes remain closed and a small smile play across her lips as she replayed the kiss. Felt Eugene's forehead up against hers, and his warm puffs of breath across her cheeks; his hand stroke through her hair. Warm happiness flooded her. This was what love felt like.  
"I love you too." She opened her brilliant green eyes and met his deep chocolate ones, saw the pure joy flood his features.  
"I was afraid to tell you because I didn't want to ruin our relationship," he said. "Trust me, I wanted to tell you sooner."  
"You said it at just the right time," she sighed and slipped her arms around him, not caring too much about her cocoa at the moment. She was too full of excitement - her adoration and the knowledge that he loved her back.  
They stood in one another's embrace for a few moments, but then he pulled away and held her in a gentle gaze. "You have no idea how relieved I am," he chuckled.  
She smiled. "Maybe I should've let on more, because I've loved you since, oh..soon after my biological mother stood me up."

Eugene shrugged. "Like you said, _you _said it at just the right time, too," he gave her a crooked grin she'd rarely seen. She took a deep breath and reached back for her mug.  
"So...is this a temporary kind of love, or..." she trailed off, unsure of how to continue. But she knew one thing: she didn't want to give her heart completely to him if neither were planning on sticking around.  
"I'm not going anywhere, Miss Dyneen. So keep that in mind," he grinned teasingly.  
"I will," she threw back, laughing.


	17. Chapter 17

Rapunzel and Eugene settled in a steady relationship. They never tired of seeing or being around one another. The waitress at the diner was mildly confused to see them back together and even more adoring of one another than before, but nobody said a thing, so she didn't either. And the female workers at the bookstore were bent on talking about weddings with Rapunzel, even though they weren't close to engagement yet.  
With Rapunzel's help as a proofreader - although Eugene's embarrassment was obvious, since his poems were, indeed, inspired by her - he finished his book of poetry and started looking at publishing companies. Rapunzel could not have been more excited for him. A very short six months passed between the time they professed their love for one another and the day when Eugene strode through her door, saying his book had been approved by the publishing house in New York City. He had the release date and everything.

Rapunzel grabbed him into an excited hug, squealing with happiness. "Oh, Eugene, this is fantastic! I'm so happy for you! Oh my gosh, aren't you happy too? You should be bouncing off the walls!"  
He laughed, settling his hands around her waist. "I'm happy, too, but I'll be happier when it's out on shelves. I actually have to tell you something."  
"Oh?" she asked. She nibbled her lip, wondering what it could be. He didn't seem very excited.  
He took a deep breath and sat down at her kitchen table, so she took her place across from him. "My agent wants me to meet with her at the publishing house so we can finalize some things in the last month before it's released. She said it would only take two weeks, and we couldn't possibly cover all the details over the phone, as she said. I don't know why not, but whatever. I'm wanted there tomorrow."  
"Well, what's the problem? If you need a car, you can take mine," she offered.  
"No," he shook his head. "That's not the problem. I can rent something. But she said that if I planned on publishing more than just this book, I'd need to develop a better relationship with the publishing house, which means I should attend meetings in _person_, not over the phone. Which means I'd need to move to NYC, ultimately, since I really can't afford to drive over five hours one-way every time a meeting comes up."  
Rapunzel blinked, churning this over a few times in her mind. It made sense, because he'd had a lot of meetings over the phone lately - had even gotten a cell phone for that purpose - and he'd been chided a few times for not being there in purpose. "So...you're moving there? New York City?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. I don't _want _to, that's for sure! And more than anything else, I don't want to leave you."  
"Don't let me get in the way of your dream," Rapunzel shook her head firmly. "If this is what it takes, then...then that's what it has to be. We could keep in contact over the phone."  
_That's not the same, _Eugene's mind screamed. _That's not the same! I'd rather talk to **them **over the phone and see Rapunzel than see **them **__and lose her! _"It's just for two weeks," he said, half to himself.  
"I'm talking in the long run," Rapunzel pointed out.  
"I know," he said, pushing a hand through his hair before burying his face in both his hands. "But there's a difference between a given-up dream and giving up someone you love dearly."  
She bit her lip hard. "We could still see each other sometimes," she said. "And talk on the phone whenever we could."  
"It's not the same, though," he said. "Most long-distance relationships don't last."  
"It's not long distance," Rapunzel pointed out.  
"Halfway across the _state_?" he asked.

She sighed. "With both of us working, and that's a lot of gas money," she mused. "I get it."  
"But I don't want to give up on my dream, either, not when I've just gotten my foot through the door."  
They fell silent for a long time. Finally, Rapunzel reached to touch one of the hands he had covering his face, and he lowered them so she could grasp his hands in hers. She spoke slowly, but precisely. "I know. Trust me, I do. My advice to you is to follow your dreams - follow your heart. But don't give up your dreams for me. Eugene, it might mean we can't see each other much anymore, but if we're dedicated, we could try to work a long-distance relationship out."  
He sighed, meeting her eyes. "Why aren't you telling me the other way around?"  
Rapunzel nibbled her lip. Why _was _she, after all? "Because I want you to be happy. And I know how happy you are when you write. It's who you are."  
Eugene nodded, swallowing. But he wanted Rapunzel to be happy, and she was happy around him, but she was also happy when she wasn't around him, and would staying back make her happy or sad?- if he thought about it too much, he'd end up sending his brain into a paradox.

That evening, when he went to leave Rapunzel's house, he gave her an extra-long hug. "I'll see you in two weeks, okay?"  
"Okay," she smiled. "Call me when you get a chance to, okay? You have my house number, right?"  
"Yep," he nodded. "Stay outta trouble."  
She laughed. "Maybe you should make sure to stay out of trouble, too."  
"You know I'll try, beautiful," the corners of his eyes crinkled into a smile, and she kissed his cheek.  
"You'd better, handsome," she threw back, laughing and blushing red. He caught her up into another quick hug and then left.


	18. Chapter 18

One day turned into two weeks, and Rapunzel hadn't heard anything from Eugene at all. Mr. Barnes hadn't, either; despite the fact that he was holding Eugene's job. Rapunzel took over his work so the job was still being done, and was too busy to worry until one day, when Levi mentioned his silence.  
She handed him another box, letting him heave the box of books up over his own head to land on the appointed shelf. "I haven't heard from him, come to think of it," she said.  
"I just think it's strange, y'know. Especially if he hasn't said anything to you. You're like, his sun, moon, and stars," Levi pointed out.  
Rapunzel licked her lips and thought. "I don't know. Maybe there were problems, or maybe he even decided to stay and just hasn't told anyone yet."  
"I hope not," Levi said. "He's a cool guy. And you two are practically the perfect couple."  
At home, Rapunzel tried calling his cell with her home phone. It went straight to voice mail, so she waited about two hours and then tried again. She eventually left him a message asking how things were going.

Days passed, and she didn't hear or see him. The day Mr. Barnes gave her the book display that would proudly show off Eugene's book, and the posters for it, Rapunzel knew it was a done deal.  
"Have you heard anything from him, sir?" Rapunzel asked.  
He scratched his head. "He called awhile back and said he wouldn't be home for awhile, and something else, but I can't think of it right now. Sorry, dear. Maybe he's changed his mind."  
"Maybe," Rapunzel said quietly, leaving to set up the display. In three days, Levi was making the day trip to pick up the books.  
She couldn't get home soon enough. She buried herself in books in her library. He hadn't left any messages on her phone - not even any telemarketers had, which was strange - and she felt that it was finished. She didn't cry. She was just tired. Her heart ached, but no tears would come. It just felt like a knife had been inserted in her heart. It didn't kill; it simply maimed her and made her feel as if she just wanted to sleep, let the world slip away. Maybe he was just another person who had given up on her. Maybe he'd met a lovely young lady, sparks had flown, and they'd eloped already. That was extreme, but possible.

Pascal was a depressing shade of blue. Even he missed Eugene. Rapunzel went through the motions; cooked a slightly-burned supper and fed herself, but she barely tasted any of it. She curled up in a ball on her couch, feeling miserably lonely.  
_"I'm not going anywhere, Miss Dyneen. So keep that in mind."  
_She felt incredibly small thinking of that one sentence. If she knew the address of his publishing house, she'd try to track him down. But maybe that would seem stalker-ish. She didn't care if he'd eliminated a step and had decided to stay in New York City, but he could have told someone. Said goodbye. Told her that he was breaking off the relationship instead of just leaving her hanging. Maybe she would have even followed him to New York City. Maybe it was _her _fault. Had she done something? Not enough? She felt like she was turning the same color as Pascal.

* * *

The very next day, Rapunzel found a very tattered and torn envelope in her mailbox, packaged in a clear plastic bag and taped with a sticker that loudly proclaimed, "WE CARE!"  
_Apparently not enough to keep the mail from getting ripped up in the first place, _Rapunzel thought sarcastically as she carefully removed the envelope and let her eyes flicker over the letter, which had no return address listed.  
She gasped, and dropped the letter. The spring wind snatched it up and almost took off with it, but she yanked it away, smoothed it out, and started reading.  
"**Rapunzel,  
I'm so sorry. I lost my stupid cell phone last week and I couldn't call you or Mr. Barnes. And because my cell phone had your numbers in it, but nowhere else, I couldn't just call with a payphone or something. I'm so sorry. And before that, well, you might want to check your answering machine. I think it's broken, because it wouldn't let me leave a message. Phone might be broken somehow, but I'm not a technician, obviously.  
Oh, I can't say I'm sorry too many times. I know you probably think I stiffed you. I'm coming home on the second of May. And the first place I'm stopping is your house, I promise. I hope you don't think my explanations are out there or fabricated, because they aren't. I promise that, too. We hit a bump in the road, but it's publishing and I'm heading back to Akron.  
I hope I have the right home address and this finds you well. I love you so much, and can't wait to see you again. I know this letter's really short, but I want to talk to you in PERSON. I hope you'll forgive me for dropping contact, but it's seriously been the most absurd things, one right after the next. So I'll talk to you soon, gorgeous.  
Love, yours truly."  
**She resisted the urge to dance in happiness and excitement. But the first thing she did was check her home phone, which she didn't use often. And the answering machine was most definitely broken.


	19. Chapter 19

The rental car pulled into Rapunzel's house bright and early on the first Saturday of May: May second. She popped her head out the window and gasped.  
She didn't bother with shoes.  
She flung the door wide, and met one Eugene Fitzherbert as soon as he was out of the car. She threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely. He laughed, spinning her around once before burying his face in her hair.  
"I missed you so much, sweet girl. Oh, I love you so much!" he murmured into her hair.  
She hugged him tighter. "I'm so happy you're back! For awhile, I thought you _weren't_."  
"Stupid phones, right?" he asked. "I take it you got my letter?"  
"Yes!" she said. "Oh my goodness, I would have never known. I'm never trusting an electronic device ever," she laughed, pulling away and giving him a goofy grin.  
"Me neither," he shook his head, but then gave her a crooked grin. "But I _do _have good news, sort of. The publishing house had a royal fit because I wanted to leave for home. I told them that I wasn't interested in publishing any further books with them. I found out about this awesome little thing called self publishing. And that's what I'm going to do. This was the longest five weeks of my life - and that's saying something - and I love you, dear. You're my number one priority, and I'd rather end up just writing for the fun from now on than doing _that _again."  
Her eyes were wide as she took this in. "So you're staying."  
"I'm staying. I also need to breathe," he added, laughing, when she gave him a crushing hug. He held her out at arm's length and took her in. "You're so beautiful. You cut your hair again?"  
"Yes," she blushed, smiling as he ran his hand through her short, messy locks. "I do every spring and let it grow out."  
He kissed her forehead. "Well, it's beautiful."

She slipped her arms around his neck and reached to kiss him, melting up against him when he kissed her back. "I think a trip to the diner is in order for this evening, but until then, we're catching up," she smiled. "Unless you have somewhere to be?"  
He shook his head. "No. The only thing I have to do is tell Mr. Barnes I'm back, and that'll happen Monday. Oh, and drop my rental off, but that can wait for tomorrow. I'm all yours."  
Rapunzel grinned, kissing his cheek. "Let's walk! Or we can sit if you're tired?"  
"We can take a walk," he slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.  
As they walked, they caught up. It was a sunny day and absolutely perfect for a walk; even more perfect when accompanied by the one you love.  
At the diner, they ordered their usual meal. But they were in a world all their own. Rapunzel couldn't believe that his loving gazes were meant for _her. _His eyes glimmered happily and smiled, but kept fiddling with something in his pocket.

Eugene took in her happy smile and couldn't help but reach to cup her cheek in his hand. She leaned into it and met his eyes with the wide, curious eyes he'd grown to adore so much - the ones that burst with hundreds of shades of green and yellow and brown. "I love you so much," she grinned, and her face heated up with embarrassment.  
"Then will you marry me?" he asked, pulling the small, simple ring out of his pocket and holding it up.  
"Hm?" she asked, pulling away and looking up at him in confusion. "What're you..."  
He repeated himself. "Will you marry me? Maybe this isn't the best time to...to ask...but if I wait for the perfect moment, it'll never come."  
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she just sat there, staring at him with large eyes. "Yes, I will," she finally managed, so quiet she had to repeat herself. Her voice grew louder with her certainty. She could trust him. She trusted him. And oh, did she love him. "Yes! Yes, I will," she said surely. When he reached for her hand, she held out her right one - but then jerked it back and offered her left when she recognized the mistake. He chuckled, working to slip the metal ring onto her ring finger.

They waited until they were out of the diner and back at Rapunzel's house before they kissed. He drew her close and the kiss was slow, gentle, and lingering. It left Rapunzel starry-eyed and wrapped both of them in a warmth that washed through them.  
"I'm so glad we're going to be married," Rapunzel murmured.  
"Good. Because I can't imagine the rest of my life without you in it," he told her, smiling.  
She grinned. "Me neither. How did you possibly save for a ring?"  
"It's real, don't worry," his smile widened. "It's the first thing I saved for once I got my job. And by far the best," he kissed her forehead.  
She grinned. "I agree. Good night - or do you want me to drive you home?"  
"I can walk," he reassured her. "Good night. Sleep well. I love you and can't wait to see you tomorrow."  
"Good night and I love you," she grinned. "I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight, though! Too excited."  
He chuckled. "Same here." He turned to leave, but then gave her one last, quick hug before jogging down her cement stairs, waiting for her to open her door and slip inside before he left.  
"Eugene?" she asked when he turned to leave. She leaned up against her door frame and watched him, a small smile playing across her lips.  
"Yes?" he asked.  
"Welcome home," she said, but then slipped inside her house, watching through a window as the young man's face developed a crooked grin. He shook his head and jogged down the sidewalk, headed for his apartment.

_"**The Girl"**_  
_She walks with her hair covering her face;  
She's simple but loves paintbrushes and lace.  
She'd got secrets, and hides them deep inside  
But how could it be that we came to collide?_

I'm crusty and my heart's rusty  
Certainly not the type to get all mushy-  
At least, not unless she's concerned  
But she's so afraid to get burned.

_I can see she's had quite a past  
But I haven't asked.  
I've once considered holding her close,  
Tell her she's amazing; but then my heart froze  
And I can tell she's not yet ready.  
_

_She's so radiant and beautiful,  
And always as kind as usual.  
Her eyes burst green, yellow, and brown;  
And her hair's as soft as down. _

_The girl is so almost too perfect  
But deep down inside, someone's left her wrecked.  
And yet her heart is always precious,  
She's like a flower beaten down by the rain: Resilient, but so delicate.  
_

_She's beautiful. _


End file.
